Are Technologists Too Locked Into The Status Quo?

In 1903 the New York Times argued that human flight would take one to ten million years to develop.1 Just 69 days later, the brothers Wright took it to the skies. Well, maybe not skies, since they only covered 36 meters, but the direction was clear. It took 86 years from the bicycle to the aeroplane, and it only took 66 years for humanity from reaching 3 meters of altitude to landing on the moon.