In a recent study comparing every Nobel Prize-winning scientist from 1901 to 2005 with typical scientists of the same era, both groups attained deep expertise in their respective fields of study. But the Nobel Prize winners were dramatically more likely to be involved in the arts than the less accomplished scientists. Here’s what a team of fifteen researchers at Michigan State University found about engagement in the arts among Noble Prize winners relative to ordinary scientists:
If the scientist practiced music, he or she was twice as likely to win as compared to contemporaries
Arts such as drawing, painting, printmaking or sculpting - 7x as likely.
Crafts: Woodworking, mechanics, electronics, glassblowing - 7.5x as likely
Writing: poetry, plays, novels, short stories, essays, popular books - 12x as likely
Performing: acting, dancing, magician - 22x as likely
