Nobel prize-winners, legendary authors, and famous scientists - you might think all these people were born to be creative. However, that's not always the case.
While well-known figures like Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein did their most significant work in their youth, famous American poet Robert Frost and English-born natural scientist Charles Darwin were known as “late bloomers” - people whose talents were not noticeable until later in life.
This idea of “peaking” at different times inspired new research from the United States. “Many people believe that creativity is exclusively (独有地) associated with youth, but it really depends on what kind of creativity you're talking about,” said Bruce Weinburg, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago and co-author of the study.
According to the study, published carlier this month in the journal De Economist, here are two types of people: conceptual (概念的) and experimental thinkers.
To reach his conclusion, researchers took the 31 previous winners of be Nobel Prize in economics and arranged them according to when they did their most significant work, to identify their creative peaks.
Some peaked from ages 25-29. Classified as conceptual thinkers, these people think outside of the box, coming up with new ideas before they become used to the conventional way of doing things.
The second creative peak came with economists in their 50s. These are experimental thinkers who have been in their fields for a long time. This allows them to learn from errors and experiment with different processes, before eventually finding new solutions.
“Whether you hit your creative peak early or late in your career depends on whether you have a conceptual or experimental approach,” said Weinburg. He added that their study isn't limited to economics, saying it can apply to other creative disciplines (知识领域). So if you're struggling to come up with new ideas, don't panic. Your creative peak may be yet to arrive.
12. What did the study from the US find?
A.Young people are not necessarily more creative than old people. |
B.Most people lake a conceptual approach when thinking. |
C.One's creative peak is related to their job type. |
D.Conceptual and experimental thinkers hit their peaks at different times. |
13. What do we know about experimental thinkers?
A.Their talents usually bloom in their 20s. |
B.They are good at doing experiments. |
C.They work out new methods based on experience, |
D.They are more successful than conceptual thinkers. |
14. What would Weinberg probably agree with?
A.It's difficult to find one's talent in later years. |
B.More research needs to be done about creative peaks. |
C.Conceptual thinkers could be more successful in the art field. |
D.Experimental thinkers from other fields may be most successful in their 50s. |
15. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A.Never too old to succeed. | B.Better late than never. |
C.Birds of a feather flock together. | D.Experience is the best teacher. |