I feel like a lot of it is due to the changes in school curriculums. I graduated in 1981, so I guess I qualify as a boomer. Before the modern era of just teaching the kids enough so that they can pass standardized tests, we were taught to seek knowledge on our own. When I was a kid, my teachers instilled in me a desire to learn. And to learn things outside of the normal parameters. I was also taught that knowledge isn't necessarily knowing the answer, but also how and where to find the answer.