Does Age Matter for Scientific Productivity?

Some say that scientists do their best work while young; examples are Einstein, Newton and Gauss. Advocates of this line of thinking generally believe that younger scientists are more creative and productive. Others argue that knowledge matures with age; Plank, Braun and Cram were in their 40s when they formulated their theories. The old Mertonian argument suggests that as scientists rise in the hierarchy, they increase their productivity and impact.

Numerous studies indeed find correlations between age and productivity, generally because the young benefit from having a fresher look at some of the old problems. Other studies show that it is the mid-career scientists that are responsible for the most important discoveries. And contrary to the expectations of those worried about aging, a number of studies also show that age is not at all negatively correlated with productivity or creativity.

To try to understand the implication of these studies, we will present a critical survey of the relevant literature and data and ask the question, does age really matter?