Comment by pjmlp

Except most people that call themselves Engineers without a degree aren't Leonardo Da Vinci, or any of the others listed by you.

Exceptional individuals that made an impact to mankind, regardless of which kind.

There are schools for special developed kids with advanced cognitive skills for a reason.

Also there is a huge difference between being immersed in an engineering degree between 3 to 5 years almost every single day with compulsory assignments, depending on the country, and occasionally watch a couple of videos, or read one or two books.

This all without getting into the soft and ethical skills that engineering degrees also require.