The World's HOTTEST Researchers

This year's list of the world's "hottest" researchers include a biologist from MIT, a doctor from Ohio State and the scientists who discovered graphene.

The researchers are ranked not by looks, but by how often their papers are cited by other scientists. Reuters explains:

Scientists share their discoveries by writing studies called papers, which are published by journals. Other researchers read them, poke holes in them, try to replicate them and use them as the basis for their own studies.

Each time they do, they credit the original paper by citing it. Scientists who are cited frequently are highly influential and so is their field of study, Pendelbury said.

MIT's Rudolf Jaenisch tops the list of 12 men. Science Watch has more:

Jaenisch, who occupied the upper rungs of last year's report, tops the current list with 14 Hot Papers on the investigation of reprogrammed cells in models of Parkinson's disease, sickle-cell anemia, and other conditions.

The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard dominates the list with four affiliated scientists.