There's really very little new ever created. Since 1975 (when I got into audio half way seriously) the only significant invention I've seen is digitized recording/source. Everything else has been a reintroduction of a previously developed concept, made possible by better materials and successful marketing.
We've forgotten that true science is a discovery pathway, not acceptance by rote or application. Like children opening presents, science has opened doors that we've rushed in to play with without pressing harder on the elementary truths found. We are so in love with the technology spawned by these discoveries and so ignorant of the past that fundamental research has been almost totally lacking in the past 100 years.
Thank you 6moons and SET Man for the history lesson.
