I have a hypothesis about how most people seemingly did their greatest work when they were young: most of the very famous people we know of on average is severa

I have a hypothesis about how most people seemingly did their greatest work when they were young: most of the very famous people we know of on average is several generations before - when you think of theoretical physicists you think of Einstein, Feynman, Higgs etc. . They started their careers a lot earlier than us now, their institutions were less crufty, the edge of the field, any field, is a lot closer. I'm willing to bet that on average the current generation would do their best work later in life. It's as big as the difference between how Baby boomers and Millennials starts their careers. That said, experimental physicists and biologists have always done their best works later in life (mid 40s last time I read). Elon Musk's best work should still be ahead of him if he doesn't flop. And Jobs's best work (turning Apple into the monster it is today) wasn't done in his youth either.