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Who Says Scientists Peak By Age 50?
Some are doing the best work of their lives later in life
By Stephen L. Antczak
Breakthroughs After Age 50
Truth is, some landmark scientific work has been done by people older than 50 for centuries.
Consider Benjamin Franklin. After 50 he charted and named the Gulf Stream and invented the glass harmonica.
Or take theoretical physicist John Wheeler, who made key contributions to theoretical physics his entire life and worked on The Manhattan Project during World War II.
In 1967, while in his mid-50s, he helped devise the ‘Wheeler-DeWitt equation,’ an important mathematical attempt to combine general relativity with quantum mechanics. In his 60s, Wheeler co-wrote one of the most influential textbooks on general relativity. In 1990, when Wheeler was in his late 70s, he developed the theory that information is a fundamental component of the universe (which he called “it from bit”).
What's Changed for Scientists
In the 21 century, scientists in their 50s, 60s, 70s and even 80s aren’t written off anymore as having their best years behind them.
But, Susskind adds, “Today it's very different. Here is a list of the people [over 50] who are dominating the idea landscape in my own field: Polchinski, Dimopoulos, Witten, Seiberg, Shenker, Strominger, Linde, Kallosh. There are younger people who are making important contributions, but so far not at the same level as these codgers.”
The Benefits of Age in Math
Ken Ono, professor of mathematics at Emory University who specializes in number theory, thinks that things are changing in his field, too.
“It is becoming much more difficult to master cutting edge mathematics at a young age,” says Ono. “In the 1960s, every mathematician could read the top journals. Now, many mathematicians would have a difficult time reading 10 percent of the papers in top journals.”
Today, scientists and mathematicians over 50 can look forward to the freedom to pursue their research in areas that truly excite them as they get older.
Consider these renowned scientists who are still making important contributions: David Attenborough (88), James Watson (86), Noam Chomsky (85), E.O. Wilson (85), Roger Penrose (82), Jane Goodall (80), Richard Dawkins (73), Stephen Hawking (72) and Neil deGrasse Tyson (55).
