Average age at death of scientists in various specialties.

There are large differences in the average age at death of scientists in different specialties whose death-notices appeared in Science from 1958 to 1968. They range from 76.7 for archaeologists to 61.8 for men working with radiation. The average age at death for the entire sample of 2,224 men was 67.7; and 68.1 for the total sample of 93 women. The average age at death was appreciably higher for biologists in "outdoor" specialties than for those in "indoor" specialties. The average age at death for physicists, chemists, and earth-scientists—but not biologists—was higher for academic than for non-university personnel. More accurate death-statistics and detailed information about the proportion of people at various agegroups for each specialty are among the information needed to determine whether or not these suggestive results are valid. AVERAGE AGE AT DEATH OF SCIENTISTS IN VARIOUS SPECIALTIES