Argument :
Scientists do not do creative work beyond the age of 40. Because
a) Ageing carries a loss of creative capacity.
OR
b) Ppl in research for a longer time ( 15 years) reduces the opportunity for creative thought.
which will help us pick one of the choices?
b) Whether scientists' choice of research projects tends to be influenced by their own belief that their most creative work will be done relatively early in their career
this choice means that scientists choose their field(by their own belief) that creative work is done early in their career. this is trying to attack the question by quoting that neither age nor the time of the research, but the research project itself drives the creative aspect of the scientists. They pick up the research projects, those which according to the scientists , will incorporate most creative work , at early in career.
No mention of age or time of research.. hence incorrect.
c) Whether scientists who are older than forty tend to find more satisfaction in other activities, such as teaching and mentoring, than they do in pursuing their own research
this is trying to attack by quoting that because the scientists themselves do not engage more in the research and hence limited creativity in the research.
This does not mention that if they indeed leave their other activities such as teaching and mentoring, can they put in more creative research? Hence inadequate.
d) Whether funding agencies are more inclined to award research grants to scientists who are veterans in their field than to scientists who are relative new comers
Trying to attack the motivation of the scientists. but no mention of any creative work or time of research.
e) Whether there is significant variation among scientific fields in the average age at which scientists working in those fields are at their most productive.
Not relevant.
Choice a) whether among those scientists who do highly creative work beyond the age of 40, a large proportion enter their field at a considerably later age than is common.
this indicates that atleast, not age but the duration of research is a factor in determining the creative aspect of the research. Ppl who enter the research at a later age than is common and continue to do highly creative work beyond the age of 40 disproves the assertion that age is a limiting factor in creative research.
My $0.01.
