system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[Warhammer 40K] How would the knowledge and capabilities of a real life scientist/engineer be regarded in the 40K universe?

How educated a real life scientist, physicist or engineer would be considered in the 40K universe, compared to the average Techpriest or random citizen?  


For further clarity, the scientist in question should be really competent in his field, maybe working for high tech or advanced research facilities.
gpt
Even an extremely competant engineer dropped into the 40K universe would be more or less helpless at the beginning.  Its the same way a modern car mechanic (e.g. a talented, but mostly average citizen) knows more about machinery than Archimedes, one of the most famous inventors of the classical era.  

Techpriests would be on an entirely other level compared to anyone from the 20th century.  They do have vast amounts of legitimate scientific knowledge, they're just bogged down by the accompanying religion, bureaucracy, and threat of chaos.

A 20th century scientist wouldn't be able to help much.  It's not that people with a philosophy of truly understanding technology and innovating dont exist in 40k.  They just tend to get killed by the vast danger inherent in pursuing that sort of thing.