Humble Pie

Everything that can be invented has been invented is a popular quote attributed to Charles H. Duell, commissioner of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office from 1898 to 1901. Today, the quote often is used to ridicule those who refuse to embrace the latest technology or believe nothing new will be forthcoming. The thing is, Duell never said that. He said quite the opposite instead: In my opinion, all previous advances in the various lines of invention will appear totally insignificant when compared with those which the present century will witness. Yet, hes not remembered for that statement, only the former, erroneous one.

Joseph E. (Jeb) Burnside

Tuesday, August 08, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The article refutes the common misquote that "everything that can be invented has been invented," demonstrating that innovation, particularly in aviation technology, continues to surprise.
Despite the author's initial belief that the ADS-B market was saturated, the recent AirVenture event introduced several new products that challenged this assumption.
Groundbreaking ADS-B solutions, such as Garmin's GDL 82 and uAvionix's SkyBeacon (a "near zero-install" ADS-B Out system integrated into a wingtip navigation light), set new standards for price, performance, and ease of installation.

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Everything that can be invented has been invented” is a popular quote attributed to Charles H. Duell, commissioner of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office from 1898 to 1901. Today, the quote often is used to ridicule those who refuse to embrace the latest technology or believe nothing new will be forthcoming. The thing is, Duell never said that. He said quite the opposite instead: “In my opinion, all previous advances in the various lines of invention will appear totally insignificant when compared with those which the present century will witness.” Yet, he’s not remembered for that statement, only the former, erroneous one.