The article "Marginality and Problem Solving Effectiveness in Broadcast Search" by Lars Bo Jeppesen and Karim R. Lakhani examines the role of marginality in scientific problem-solving contests characterized by open broadcast of problem information, self-selection of external solvers, and blind review of solutions. The study analyzes a dataset of 166 science challenges involving over 12,000 scientists, revealing that technical and social marginality play significant roles in explaining individual success. Technical marginality, defined as the distance between the solver's field of expertise and the problem field, is positively related to successful solution generation. Social marginality, particularly the underrepresentation of women in the scientific establishment, also positively impacts success. The findings contribute to the literature on open and distributed innovation, highlighting the value of openness in removing barriers to entry for non-obvious individuals and demonstrating the effectiveness of market mechanisms in drawing out diverse knowledge sources to solve internal problems.The article "Marginality and Problem Solving Effectiveness in Broadcast Search" by Lars Bo Jeppesen and Karim R. Lakhani examines the role of marginality in scientific problem-solving contests characterized by open broadcast of problem information, self-selection of external solvers, and blind review of solutions. The study analyzes a dataset of 166 science challenges involving over 12,000 scientists, revealing that technical and social marginality play significant roles in explaining individual success. Technical marginality, defined as the distance between the solver's field of expertise and the problem field, is positively related to successful solution generation. Social marginality, particularly the underrepresentation of women in the scientific establishment, also positively impacts success. The findings contribute to the literature on open and distributed innovation, highlighting the value of openness in removing barriers to entry for non-obvious individuals and demonstrating the effectiveness of market mechanisms in drawing out diverse knowledge sources to solve internal problems.