Economists like competition but not when it comes to their own field of research | Torsten Bell

Winners of prizes such as the Nobel are concentrated in a handful of universities, which runs the risk of narrowing debate

Economists are pro-competition, warning against concentrated markets - dominated by a few large firms that face too little pressure to keep prices down or quality up.

But where is concentration high and increasing? In economics itself, according to fascinatingnew research by US and Chinese academics. They gathered data on the top researchers (those receiving the most prestigious awards -, such as Nobel prizes) across different scientific fields, spanning engineering, natural and social sciences.