The Last Days of the Polymath

The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. I think that any hardcore specialist will be missing out somewhat on the synergy that knowledge of the various parts of the universe provides. But given our educational advancements we're much more well rounded in terms of education than people a century ago. So in that sense we're all polymaths. And having a general understanding of a variety of topics can still produce some synergy towards increased understanding of the universe or any specific topic.

Our intellectual capabilities haven't changed but the amount of knowledge we know amasses. So eventually, which is happening now, we'll reach a point where it is no longer possible to be at the head of multiple (at least scientific) fields because there is too much to remember. Part of the reason for this is because people have specialized terminology and field specific nuances that must be learned ( as opposed to having concepts described in common language).

Art is an exception, because it does not advance quantitatively like science. So we should still be able to excel in specialized knowledge and be able to artistically express ourselves. This is also why, as the article mentions, lots of people write. It's a form of expression. Anyone can write as long as they have a good idea, and anyone can paint or compose since the difficulty in doing these things has remained constant.

It is a very good article. I read it last month in the paper version of the magazine, while on holiday and stroke a chord as I always considered myself to be one. We all have a current advantage over our predecessors in that knowledge is now so much more freely available.

As science and engineering expands it tends to fragment into specializations. Although I have always been advocating that specialization is for insects, the reality of life is that you need to be top notch on one or two fields and a generalist in as many as possible.

I like studying all sorts of different things, even if it's not deemed the best route to success these days. I don't usually do what I'm supposed to do, anyway.

"if...then, yes, you have to specialise,” says Chris Leek, the chairman of British Mensa, a club for people who score well on IQ tests."

Actually I have heard many scientists utter something along the line of --

   "I find the barriers between disciplines often quite an artificial creation here doctor, the more I study the more I see the connections that bind this universe together becoming clear to me. It is the way of the future."

--Proff. Friedrick Von Slick (fictional super villain in audio drama/podcast Red Panda)