# acad: the matthew effect vs perpetual novelties

<< Why do scientists with similar backgrounds and abilities often end up achieving very different degrees of success? A classic explanation is that academic achievement exhibits a “Matthew effect”: Early successes increase future success chances.>>

AA << results show that winners just above the funding threshold accumulate more than twice as much funding during the subsequent eight years as nonwinners with near-identical review scores that fall just below the threshold. >>

Thijs Bol, Mathijs de Vaan, and Arnout van de Rijt. The Matthew effect in science funding. PNAS May 8, 2018. 115 (19) 4887-90. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1719557115.

http://www.pnas.org/content/115/19/4887

Sam Zuckerman. How success breeds success in the sciences. University of California, Berkeley. Apr 27, 2018.

https://m.phys.org/news/2018-04-success-sciences.html

FonT

the "Matthew effect" esteso nel qualsivoglia contesto (vale a dire: rendita di posizione stabile, carriera professionale certa, esercizio del potere di cooptazione, accesso privilegiato a risorse pubbliche e private) vs (ipotetiche entita' AI.qu.cpu autonome, costo base 10-100 usd, emivita 10y) ... come si auto giustifichera' lo status di una futura classe dirigente? Sara' sufficiente il conforto, l'appoggio sottotraccia della "famiglia",  la disponibilita' alla sottomissione/ compromesso "a prescindere", l'eventuali abilita' di chiacchera e visibilita' sui media per stabilizzarne il potere?