Are you seriously claiming that a large fraction of the population can, with some elbow grease, do cutting edge research? Most people I know struggle with the science they have to learn in school.
I'm claiming that with some elbow grease people can increase the fraction of the population which can do the research. I'm not sure what the upper bound on the fraction would be, but so far historical record shows it steadily increasing.
We should work at it and see where we can get.
(And hopefully by the time we bump against the ceiling implants and genetics will come to our aid.)
