Age and Scientific Genius

Benjamin Jones, E.J. Reedy and Bruce Weinberg

No 19866, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Great scientific output typically peaks in middle age. A classic literature has emphasized comparisons across fields in the age of peak performance. More recent work highlights large underlying variation in age and creativity patterns, where the average age of great scientific contributions has risen substantially since the early 20th Century and some scientists make pioneering contributions much earlier or later in their life-cycle than others. We review these literatures and show how the nexus between age and great scientific insight can inform the nature of creativity, the mechanisms of scientific progress, and the design of institutions that support scientists, while providing further insights about the implications of aging populations, education policies, and economic growth.

JEL-codes: J11 O31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-age, nep-his and nep-sog
Note: LS
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (30)

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