Been reading a lot of Isaac Asimov short stories as the only reading I can fit into my schedule, and found this passage in the book Earth is Room Enough from the short story The Dead Past:
When science was young and the intricacies of all or most of the known was within the grasp of an individual mind, there was no need for direction, perhaps. Blind wandering over the uncharted tracts of ignorance could lead to wonderful finds by accident.
But as knowledge grew, more and more data had to be absorbed before worthwhile journeys into ignorance could be organized.
The passage goes on to describe the effort of science becoming too large and complex for individuals, then academic institutions, and covers governments having to ensure scientific progress as we have today, but I wanted to just capture this one bit of it, especially that last line.
This last sentence really accurately describes learning as an adventure, one we must prepare for if we are to tackle complex subjects. Just, as I have learned from Vicky Sawyer, the rewarding joys of preparing for a day hike in the wilderness, preparing our minds with knowledge will lead to the rewards of exploring realms of information and understanding few others get to experience.