Not That Sane. V Lakshman. Every Wednesday.

Where are the natives? (Oct. 15, 1999)

Making money ...

This year's Nobel Laureates have been announced and there are several Americans, only they were all born elsewhere -- the economist was born in Canada and the winner in medicine in Germany (prompting him to joke that two Guenters from Germany won, himself and the winner in Literature). Unlike Thomas Mann, an earlier German winner, this year's winner in literature seems to not have lived in the United States.

This is simply more evidence that the United States continues to attract the best minds. But it is still curious that if you take out the generation of immigrants and their children, there are precious few American Nobel Laureates. Why?

One theory is that the "hunger" simply isn't there after a few generations. Bollocks.

Immigrants succeed in America primarily because it is an open society. However, being an open society, there are many avenues for bright, young people. The brightest in America tend to gravitate towards law and the practice of medicine. Not that many bright minds are attracted toward medical research or the academic life. Similarly, in literature, a writer makes a lot more money writing mush. An economist will make more money in Wall Street than teaching at the Chicago School of Economics. So is it any wonder that American graduate schools are filled with foreign students? Graduate schools are the lowest tier of the research pyramid; with less native Americans there, there are fewer who'll reach the apex.

On the contrary, free enterprise is pretty restricted everywhere else in the world. The bright, young people of other countries find themselves thwarted in business and law. So, they find their calling in research, which tends to be more open to new ideas. And then they discover that in America, they can really flourish.

Elementary.


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