Take this instance:
After returning from vacation, Fleming noticed a blue-green mold had contaminated a petri dish containing Staphylococcus bacteria. He observed a clear zone around the mold where the bacteria were not growing. Fleming identified the mold as a species of Penicillium, which was later named Penicillium notatum.
Fleming, Florey, and Chain were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945 for their work on penicillin.
Penicillin has since saved hundreds of millions of lives world over. Its discovery was a result of chance, skill, observation, and critical thinking abilities of Alexander Flemming, and the collaborative efforts of Howard Florey and Ernst Chain. In real life, timed mental ability is rarely a necessity in solving complex problems. Skill, experience, depth of reasoning, collaboration, and a sense of duty to society are often the bearers of merit.