Room for amatuers- I agree but let me add
These fiields have become so complex that it really is hard to do anything in them without making it your lifes work.... For instance, I am educated and I am interested in bio-technology- but for me to do anything in that area would require YEARS of study and devotion.... and a hell of a lot of luck.
Some people have a inborn ability to master a subject- I knew one guy in grad school who honestly seemed to have a natural understanding of quantum physics, it seemed trivial to him- it was kinda creepy...
I wonder if the sciences will ever get to the point that there is not enough time in a human lifetime to truly understand them....