Sure, things were easy when no one knew what an atom was, let alone electrons, orbitals and energy states. As for whether there are polymaths anymore... Most

Sure, things were easy when no one knew what an atom was, let alone electrons, orbitals and energy states. As for whether there are polymaths anymore... Most research engineers and applied scientists working on large complex builds are polymaths in the classical sense: they know their chemistry, physics, mathematics, thermodynamics, materials science and also programming, controls systems, communications and 3D modelling. In a non-classical sense... You can now be a generalist in a single field. There's enough knowledge in a single field like semiconductor manufacturing that you can choose a different specialisation each week and never run out in your lifetime.