I am probably not intellectual enough to contribute too meaningfully to this thread, but I have really enjoyed reading it.
I do have a simple thought on the topic though:
I always wondered how much easier it must have been back in the day, to seem really smart because there was so much left to "discover". Now it seems in almost any discipline, it's all been done or thoroughly thought through by "more qualified people", so you are expected to read/review everything others have said before you can add/build meaningfully on the existing knowledge base. What a tedious drag/beat-down. What a deterrent to the generation of independent out of the box ideas.
I think to some extent, those people who have the natural IQ/talent/curiosity to make great discoveries/advances to begin with, may be beat down by all of the "already been done" thinking that's out there. They do not get to experience and build off of that thrill of discovering things for them-self because they are spoon-fed the "facts" from an early age. At school, or by well-meaning parents, either way the thrill of discovery/working things out for oneself, is taken away and I suspect this squashes the drive and/or self confidence that one might have otherwise developed had they been allowed to try and fail until they successfully "discover" things for themselves.
By the time they are through with college, most individuals have been spoon-fed "knowledge" for so long, the ability/confidence necessary to think great new thoughts is thoroughly beat down.
Just a thought.
