It is more along the lines of a charismatic leader who gets the attention of all of the people of the Culture and inspires them in some fashion towards greatness. In that process, the cultural soul dies, hardening into Civilization, as Spengler has noted. The best way of saying it would be that the time was ripe for some individual to fulfill that particular destiny. These men need not arise in any particular day, week, month, or year. History repeats itself.
Historians repeat each other.
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. At present, it appears there may be none. With a few notable exceptions, such as the space program or disease research, our technological engine is mostly directed towards private profits for individual businesses. The second most pervasive use of technology is in devices of war, whether they will be for offensive or defensive purposes. All of the goals for these technological advances are controlled by public and private research and development budgets.