Study: fame after death for celebrities is rare except for artists
Data scientists from the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) have found only a few people live on in our collective memory with the exception of those who create a cultural legacy.
Why are some people remembered long after they die and others aren’t? That was one of the key questions scientists from EPFL’s Data Science LabExternal link in the School of Computer and Communication Sciences along with Stanford University wanted to answer.
People who were young or died an unnatural death were the most likely to receive media attention but mentions typically dropped off quite quickly. This is also the case for politicians or athletes who are no longer doing the things that got them into the news.
In contrast, artists receive a “long-term attention boost” as they create a “legacy of cultural heritage that survives them”, writes EPFL in a press releaseExternal link.
As an example, both Whitney Houston and Hugo Chavez saw a spike in media mentions on the day they died. “In the year that followed it was a different story with Houston’s ‘rise’ lasting a year while Chavez slipped into the ‘decline’ pattern,” said Robert West, who heads the Data Science Lab and was the study’s lead author.
The scientists tracked more than 2,000 public figures who died between 2009 and 2014, analysing the daily frequency that people were mentioned in both the English-language mainstream news and on Twitter during the year before and after death. They found four prototypical patterns of postmortem memory – a “blip,” “silence,” “rise,” and “decline”.
For about half the people mentioned, there’s not much discussion of them before they die and then a small “blip” after they pass. For another quarter of the people, the pattern is completely flat.
“What this research says to me is that fame is a rare thing and it’s probably not worth pursuing because even if you try very hard, and the people in this data set are probably among those that tried the hardest, it doesn’t last,” said West.
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
This content was published on
The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
This content was published on
The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
OECD: Sluggish economic activity slowing growth in Switzerland
This content was published on
Sluggish economic activity at the start of the year is weighing on growth in Switzerland, with GDP expected to fall to 1.1% in 2024.
Report finds mistakes which led to Swiss government data breach
This content was published on
Mistakes were made by both the government and internet company Xplain in the case of a criminal cyber-attack on the Bern-based IT business.
Swiss government wants better gender balance in federal administration
This content was published on
New Swiss government personnel management targets say there must be even more female managers in the federal administration.
Swiss national science foundation funded over 5,000 projects in 2023
This content was published on
In 2023, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) provided a total of CHF961 million worth of funding towards research projects.
Switzerland invites 160 delegations to June Ukraine peace talks
This content was published on
Russia is currently not among the delegations invited to talks aimed at helping bring about peace in the conflict between Moscow and Ukraine.
Survey: air travel most popular way to go on holidays for Swiss
This content was published on
Despite the climate crisis, flying is the most popular mode of transport for private travel – particularly among young, urban and high-income travellers.
Swiss government to use phone data to identify asylum seekers
This content was published on
From April 2025, authorities plan to be able to analyse data from mobile phones, computers and other data carriers to identify asylum seekers.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
EPFL develops algorithm to rate scenic landscapes
This content was published on
Researchers behind the algorithm to measure "scenicness" say it could have benefits for environmental conservation efforts.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.