Daniel McFarland: The Diversity-Innovation Paradox in Science

Explore the diversity-innovation paradox in science through Stanford Professor Daniel McFarland's research on U.S. doctoral recipients from 1977 to 2015. Delve into text analysis and machine learning techniques used to detect scientific innovations and examine the relationship between underrepresented groups and novel contributions. Discover how diversity breeds innovation, yet innovations from underrepresented groups are often devalued and discounted. Investigate career outcomes, implications for science, and current efforts to address this paradox. Gain insights into various aspects of diversity, including socioeconomic status, search committee demographics, and differences between public and private universities. Engage with audience questions and follow-up discussions on underestimating the problem and the impact of novelties in this 58-minute seminar from Stanford University.

Introduction
The DiversityInnovation Paradox
Diversity Measure
Robustness Check
Career Outcomes
Results
Diversity breeds innovation
Does the paradox hold for science
Implications for science
Current efforts
Audience questions
Followup questions
Underestimating the problem
Other kinds of diversity
Socioeconomic status
Search committee demographics
Public vs private universities
Impact of novelties