The problem with the "field of researchers" is that most of us aren't geniuses. We're just plugging away at problems, like normal people.
The opportunity for a genius is to come in, synthesize all existing information on the subject, and then come up with a novel approach to the whole thing.
In some part, I think that is what Elon Musk has been able to do effectively. He comes into a field that already exists, reads everything he can get his hands on, and then outputs something novel. You can only do that effectively if you have the mental capacity to keep all that info in your head at once, I think.
The opportunity for a genius is to come in, synthesize all existing information on the subject, and then come up with a novel approach to the whole thing.
In some part, I think that is what Elon Musk has been able to do effectively. He comes into a field that already exists, reads everything he can get his hands on, and then outputs something novel. You can only do that effectively if you have the mental capacity to keep all that info in your head at once, I think.