What is it that the students of Nobel laureates learn, but can't put into words?

I think an important thing is being influenced by their influences - their actual bookshelf, the people they talk to, the places they go to think. the way their whole environment is woven together.

Along with all the subconscious communicating that will be going on when you get used to working with someone, and having access to them to ask questions all the time, plus their random notes and sketches scattered around, you could get pretty in tune after a while.

How to reproduce that remotely is a very good question.