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Innovators Are Older Than Ever

Posted by Zonk on from the get-off-my-lawn-you-whippersnappers! dept.

GrokSoup writes "A new study shows that great achievements in science are produced by older innovators today than they were a century ago. Using data on Nobel Prize winners and great inventors, the author shows that the age at which noted innovations are produced has increased by approximately 6 years over the 20th Century. This runs contrary to accepted wisdom in science, which says that most scientists peak in their 20s. It is also welcome news to those of us who have not yet, ahem, done our Nobel-winning work."

3 of 221 comments (clear)

  1. Great! by HungSoLow · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    There's still time for my work on the "Virtual Portman Pouring Hot Grits Down Your Trousers" to be recognized...

  2. What about product designers? by Aqua+OS+X · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Who are the "innovators" explored within this journal article?

    Only engineers, developers, and scientists?... or are product and industrial designers also taken into consideration? These people innovate and invent for a living. Moreover, older designers typically fall into positions of direction and administration.

    --
    "Things are more moderner than before- bigger, and yet smaller- it's computers-- San Dimas High School football RULES!"
  3. Re:Building on previous work by ezzzD55J · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Grandparent:
    I think the reason for this is that any new invention/discovery now takes years of reading and understanding the basic work that has already been done.
    Parent:

    Nah, it's that this is the amount of time it takes to fill out all the intellectual property paperwork before you announce... ;-)

    Ha, wish I hadn't wasted all my mod points on one of these previous dumb stories. That's Funny.