The science behind winning a Nobel Prize? Being a man from a wealthy family | Torsten Bell

A lot of talent is wasted in a world where more than half of laureates come from households in the richest 5%

We like scientific breakthroughs. Humanity ultimately relies on them. So it matters if we’re missing out on discoveries.

But compelling evidence that we are indeed missing out comes from a new study of the childhood background (measured on the basis of their father’s occupation) of some very successful scientists: Nobel laureates.