Success in Science
Is a scientific career predictable?
About the Project
Research on creativity has shown that people tend to produce their most important works when they are young. This is true for scientists too. But a new study finds that this is simply because scientists are more productive in their early years.
When the study's authors discounted productivity, they found that a scientist has an equally good chance of producing a high impact paper towards the end of their career. This visualization explores this research finding, showing the careers of famous scientists and when their breakthrough moments occurred.
The visual style is inspired by Joy Division's iconic album cover "Unknown Pleasures", using stacked waveforms to represent the impact of scientific publications over a career timeline.
