4 ms·

Strong words. I assume you feel the same way about the field of mathematics then -- that it's all "bullshit chicken-hawking?" http://legendofpi.wordpress.com/2

Strong words. I assume you feel the same way about the field of mathematics then -- that it's all "bullshit chicken-hawking?" http://legendofpi.wordpress.com/2012/03/24/do-mathematicians-peak-in-their-late-20s/ http://legendofpi.wordpress.com/2012/03/24/do-mathematicians... http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jun/25/science/la-sci-sn-numbers-age-20120625 http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jun/25/science/la-sci-sn-nu... http://www.massey.ac.nz/~rmclachl/overthehill.html http://www.massey.ac.nz/~rmclachl/overthehill.html https://www.dpmms.cam.ac.uk/~rdc26/zoop2.pdf https://www.dpmms.cam.ac.uk/~rdc26/zoop2.pdf

ama729 13y ago
Gauss is an obvious counterpoint though, he made important discoveries well into his 70's: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauss#Later_years_and_death_.281831.E2.80.931855.29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauss#Later_years_and_death_.2... Relevant comic with a list of old scientists: http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=1833#comic http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=1833#comic
waterlesscloud 13y ago
Your third reference spends most of its time supporting Michael's point, in much the same language. "In fact, Mr. Simonton found that mathematicians make their best research contributions (which he defined as the ones mentioned most often by historians and biographers in reference books) at what many might consider doddering old age: 38.8. That age is very similar to those he found in other sciences: 40.5 in biology, 38.2 in physics, and 38.0 in chemistry."
davidw 13y ago
> Strong words This is the same guy who says "No, not everyone who's rich deserves to die": https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5625397 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5625397
- selmnoo 13y ago
  I'd agree with michaelochurch, interestingly. Capital has been taken hostage by the rich -- the system we live in is rigged. And that is not a controversial or unsubstantiated statement at all at this point, it's good science, e.g., per Piketty's new findings and analyses, which are scientifically rigorous and heavily data-backed.
  - davidw 13y ago
    > Capital has been taken hostage by the rich Err... yeah? Previously who did the capital belong to?
shubb 13y ago
I've read speculation that people peak later in quantitive fields, because a discovery requires a lot of work over many years - gathering and verifying data. In math, I guess, advances are made by bright ideas - logical jumps, sudden realizations. The discoverer just needs to read to the edge of the field and then realize something no one else has before. But I think that's a shallow model for inovation. Genuinely innovative companies like Tesla or Skybox mostly seem to be mixed age teams.

ama729 13y ago

Gauss is an obvious counterpoint though, he made important discoveries well into his 70's: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauss#Later_years_and_death_.281831.E2.80.931855.29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauss#Later_years_and_death_.2... Relevant comic with a list of old scientists: http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=1833#comic http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=1833#comic

waterlesscloud 13y ago

Your third reference spends most of its time supporting Michael's point, in much the same language. "In fact, Mr. Simonton found that mathematicians make their best research contributions (which he defined as the ones mentioned most often by historians and biographers in reference books) at what many might consider doddering old age: 38.8. That age is very similar to those he found in other sciences: 40.5 in biology, 38.2 in physics, and 38.0 in chemistry."

davidw 13y ago

> Strong words This is the same guy who says "No, not everyone who's rich deserves to die": https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5625397 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5625397

selmnoo 13y ago
I'd agree with michaelochurch, interestingly. Capital has been taken hostage by the rich -- the system we live in is rigged. And that is not a controversial or unsubstantiated statement at all at this point, it's good science, e.g., per Piketty's new findings and analyses, which are scientifically rigorous and heavily data-backed.
- davidw 13y ago
  > Capital has been taken hostage by the rich Err... yeah? Previously who did the capital belong to?

shubb 13y ago

I've read speculation that people peak later in quantitive fields, because a discovery requires a lot of work over many years - gathering and verifying data. In math, I guess, advances are made by bright ideas - logical jumps, sudden realizations. The discoverer just needs to read to the edge of the field and then realize something no one else has before. But I think that's a shallow model for inovation. Genuinely innovative companies like Tesla or Skybox mostly seem to be mixed age teams.