In reading Quicksilver, I was struck by the difference between Albert Einstein and just about everyone else, ever. Einstein sat and thought about things, even, I believe, coining the phrase "Gedanken experiments" to describe the process. He functioned on an almost a priori level, dealing with space and time mathematically--although one can tell from his writings that that's not how he conceived them. His maths are too prone to leaps and jumps which, although they can be explained algebraically, are really just Einstein seeing the answer and in a hurry to get to it.

Contrast Newton, grinding lenses and losing his eyesight to the sun, Darwin with years spent with his barnacles, Kepler, Brahe, etc... they all were out there in the real world, testing the minute details of it to make sure that it conformed.

Our conception of science has been rather deformed by Einstein's success, and too many people think of wild-haired geniuses forever losing their socks, instead of the keen-eyed geniuses who can keep track of the rings on a prawn's tail.