Friday July 11, 2003 at 3:07 PM
Washed up at 40?
Appearing in Domestic Bliss
“A person who has not made his great contribution to science before the age of 30 will never do so.” — Albert Einstein
The August edition of New Scientist magazine contains an interesting article by Satoshi Kanazawa, a psychologist at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. As part of his ongoing interest in evolutionary psychology and the relationship between accomplishment and motivation, Kanazawa recently completed a study of 280 of the world’s greatest scientists.
Originally published in The Journal of Research in Personality, Dr. Kanazawa’s research shows a strong correlation between age, marriage, and scientific accomplishment. In a story by ABC he says, “Scientific productivity indeed fades with age.” He further concludes, “Two-thirds (of all scientists) will have made their most significant contributions before their mid-30s.”
The Kanazawa research correlates with earlier studies illustrating the dampening effect of marriage on criminal activity. This has led Dr. Kanazawa to conclude that a “singly psychological mechanism” is in play, namely the swell of testosterone and the competition among men for the affection and attention of women. Kanazawa theorizes that when men settle down into family life, their testosterone levels drop along with their creative energy and output. Unfortunately, little is mentioned about the effect of sleep deprivation, the numbing monotony of domestic chores, or the deleterious effect of children on conjugal relations leading one to question Dr. Kanazawa’s one marital status.
Dr. Kanazawa’s study also fails to address the question of whether the married scientists were ultimately happier and more fulfilled, a matter that is commonly ignored when it comes to matters of success and accomplishment.
