Polymaths - A History and a Sociology

We surely need not only a history but also a psychology and a sociology of polymaths. Becoming a polymath, sowing the seeds, one might say, requires a combination of qualities. Polymaths obviously need an overdose of curiosity, a formidable memory and both the ability and the desire to work long hours. Humboldt, for instance, was an independent scholar whose wealth gave him not only leisure, but also the opportunity to make the famous expedition to South America.