Where Geniuses Live A look at the highly mobile lives of MacArthur “Genius Grant” winners.

Kristin Capps:

From a 32-year-old neurophysicist to a 71-year-old tech historian, the MacArthur Fellows class of 2014 are a typically diverse lot. Like most of their compatriots, these “Genius Grant” winners were born all over the map. And if they’re anything like their fellow fellows—or creative forces from across history—they’re following a career arc that’s taking them to a few specific city clusters.

Since 1981, the MacArthur Foundation has given millions to artists, scientists, writers, philosophers, and others who have shown some exceptional talent or moved the culture forward in an appreciable way. You may have already met the 2014 Fellows, a group that includes feminist graphic artist Alison Bechdel, Texas housing advocate John Henneberger, and prime-number mathematician Yitang Zhang.