At the time of writing, I'm a 52 year-old working in the fields of mathematics and data science. In mathematics, that makes me well-seasoned (and probably well-tenured, if I had chosen to continue in academia). In data science, some would consider me a dinosaur. In fact, many older people considering a career in data science might be put off by the thought that data science is tough to break into at a later age. But is that statement true? Should the over 50 crowd put down their textbooks and pick up their gardening tools?

Is Math a Young Person's Game? Maybe

As far as the mathematics portion of my career, I didn't become a mathematician until I was in my mid-thirties. Before that I dabbled with whatever venture brought in a few bob to feed the kids: computer operator, Ebay entrepreneur, aviation electrician. I was 36 when I decided to go back to school to get my master's. If  Alfred Adler is to be believed, my "mathematical life" had already long passed by the time I graduated.

Work rarely improves after the age of twenty-five or thirty. If little has been accomplished by then, little will ever be accomplished. 

Read the full article by Stephanie Glen, here. For other articles by Stephanie Glen, follow this link. 

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