Study links aging scientific workforce to decline in breakthrough discoveries
By
@auditorynerves.bsky.social
4d ago· 1 min readenNews
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Summary
A new study analyzing 12.5 million scientists finds that researchers become less likely to produce disruptive, transformative work as they age. Younger scientists tend to overturn established ideas or open new lines of inquiry, while older researchers increasingly build on existing theories. This suggests that the aging scientific workforce may be one reason why science is producing fewer breakthroughs and more incremental advances.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledYounger researchers are more likely to overturn established ideas or open entirely new lines of inquiry.
Older ones still produce novel work, but increasingly build on existing theories.
Science was becoming less transformative, producing fewer breakthroughs and more incremental advances.
A huge study suggests ageing scientists are part of the problem
