Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/193271 
Year of Publication: 
2018
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 11977
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
The advancement of the knowledge frontier is crucial for technological innovation and human progress. Using novel data from the setting of mathematics, this paper establishes two results. First, we document that individuals who demonstrate exceptional talent in their teenage years have an irreplaceable ability to create new ideas over their lifetime, suggesting that talent is a central ingredient for the production of knowledge. Second, such talented individuals born in low- or middle-income countries are systematically less likely to become knowledge producers. Our findings suggest that policies to encourage exceptionally-talented youth to pursue scientific careers - especially those from lower income countries - could accelerate the advancement of the knowledge frontier.
Subjects: 
talent
knowledge frontier
innovation
IMO
mathematics
JEL: 
O31
J24
I25
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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