How Diversity Drives Innovation: Surnames, Social Interactions and Patents in U.S. History

Watch a 47-minute research presentation from Jonathan Schulz of George Mason University exploring how surname diversity influenced innovation across U.S. counties between 1850-1940. Discover compelling evidence showing how the variety of surnames, driven by immigration patterns and local settlement factors, directly correlated with increased patent quantity and quality. Learn about the research methodology that leverages quasi-random variation in county surnames to demonstrate how diverse social interactions and the exchange of different skills and perspectives fueled American innovation. Understand the historical significance of this demographic diversity in establishing the United States as a global innovation hub through the free flow of information between people with varied backgrounds and expertise.