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The Matthew effect: Why famous scientists keep getting more famous

Mark Frauenfelder
May 23, 2025
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Jeppe Gustafsson / Shutterstock.com

Scientists who win Nobel Prizes become "visible scientists" — getting "almost bulletproof prestige and a reputation that can open just about any door," writes Massimiano Bucchi in The MIT Press Reader.

This phenomenon, says Bucchi, is a an example of the "Matthew effect," named after (Matthew 25:29): "For unto every one…

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