I think ageism is implicit in modern Western culture. The Fields Medal has ageism built right into it: "a prize awarded to two, three, or four mathematicians no

I think ageism is implicit in modern Western culture. The Fields Medal has ageism built right into it: "a prize awarded to two, three, or four mathematicians not over 40 years of age." Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fields_Medal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fields_Medal However, skimming down the list of Abel Prize winners, those guys are no spring chickens, and do great work in mathematics well into their senior years.