Sex and the Scientist
There’s a report in The Times covering a study done by Satoshi Kanazawa studying the age of peak achievements for high-flying (male) scientists:
In the study, published in the Journal of Research in Personality, Satoshi Kanazawa, of the University of Canterbury, examined the biographies of 280 great scientists. He found that 65 per cent of the mostly male researchers had made their biggest discovery before their mid-thirties. Their “productivity curve” follows almost exactly that of male common criminals, whose illegal activities peak in late adolescence and early adulthood. The explanation, according to Dr Kanazawa, is simple: they are seeking to impress women with their virtuosity. “They do whatever they do to get laid,” he said. “Scientific productivity indeed fades with age. Two thirds will have made their most significant contributions before their mid-thirties.” Marriage, he found, dampens menâs drive in science and crime. Within five years of marrying, almost a quarter of the scientists had published their last work of any great importance.
