Princeton University

Even while rubbing shoulders with Nobel laureates—and standing next to Neil deGrasse Tyson—Li maintains a youthful wonder and humility that will serve him well.

The Princeton professor and Nobel Prize winner speaks candidly about his career, Scottish optimism, and how detailed data can lend subtle insight into human behavior.

We canvassed the world of the social and behavioral sciences, looking for rising stars whose careers promise to make a lasting mark. We'll be profiling the top 30 throughout the month of April.

We canvassed the world of the social and behavioral sciences, looking for rising stars whose careers promise to make a lasting mark. We'll be profiling the top 30 throughout the month of April.

For the month of April we're profiling the individuals who made our inaugural list of the 30 top thinkers under 30, the young men and women we predict will have a serious impact on the social, political, and economic issues we cover every day here at Pacific Standard.

For the month of April we're profiling the individuals who made our inaugural list of the 30 top thinkers under 30, the young men and women we predict will have a serious impact on the social, political, and economic issues we cover every day here at Pacific Standard.

Because we have trouble separating absolute and relative performance, students facing stricter grading standards are less likely to get into top graduate programs.