We tested three commonly proposed explanations and found them insufficient. Instead, we identify preferential attachment and network densification as the causal drivers of ageing, and introduce a simple mechanistic model that not only reproduces the observed patterns but also reveals how structural feedback shapes the dynamics of career ageing. Analysis of the model demonstrates a direct link between ageing and network densification, providing a basis for forecasting future recognition patterns once the magnitude of densification is known
^this is like reduced modularity in the aging brain!