Memorability of Nobel Prize laureates in economics

ABSTRACT

In this article, a measure for the Relative Memorability of Nobel Prize winners is proposed, based on an exponential forgetting curve. The intention is to provide a measure that captures the fading nature of memories with respect to individual Nobel Prize winners in the cultural collective memory. For fame and achievement of Nobel Prize laureates, measurement methods are already developed. However, from a cultural viewpoint, the question is how well these persons are remembered. Applying the concept of memorability, as defined in this article, to Nobel laureates in Economics, Milton Friedman, Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz turn out to be the top-three economists in the collective memory. Moreover, the ranking of economists according the collective memory, their fame and their achievement produce quite different results.

KEYWORDS:

• Nobel Prize in Economics
• memorability
• achievement
• fame

JEL CLASSIFICATION:

• A10
• B31

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

¹ Note that a higher value for has an effect on memorability , whereas a higher value for H_i,t implies . The relative memorability of two Nobel Prize winners, i and j, is given by .