Leibniz Reading QQC 1/4/10

"Leibniz lived in a period when it was still possible - as his own astounding career demonstrated - for a very highly intelligent and hard-working scholar to absorb all the knowledge of his time."

Are they saying that it is still not possible in any other period that a intelligent and hard-working scholar can absorb all the knowledge of his time? or was it only possible during Leibniz' time?

This quote confused me because I didn't understand if they were saying that no other intelligent and hard-working scholar can absorb all of the knowledge of their time, unless they lived during Leibniz' time period. Because there are some people in our time that could absorb all of that knowledge, if they really wanted to.