…For this reason, societies have a big interest in making sure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to become scientists, inventors and entrepreneurs. It’s not only a matter of fairness. Denying opportunities to talented people can end up hurting everyone. … The researchers worked with the Treasury Department to link the tax records with patent records. Doing so allowed them to study the backgrounds of patent holders (and the study focused on the most highly cited, significant patents). The researchers — [Raj] Chetty, Alex Bell, Xavier Jaravel, Neviana Petkova and John Van Reenen — were also able to link these records to elementary-school test scores for some patent holders. Not surprisingly, children who excelled in math were far more likely to become inventors. But being a math standout wasn’t enough. Only the top students who also came from high-income families had a decent chance to become an inventor.

Related publications

‘Who becomes an inventor in America?  The importance of exposure to innovation: Executive Summary’, Alex Bell, Raj Chetty, Xavier Jaravel, Neviana Petkova and John Van Reenen, The Equality of Opportunity Project, December 2017

http://www.equality-of-opportunity.org/assets/documents/inventors_summary.pdf

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