While it's hyperbole, I think the more charitable interpretation is that a lot of 'new stuff' is really just rediscovering 'old stuff', and this should be a imp

While it's hyperbole, I think the more charitable interpretation is that a lot of 'new stuff' is really just rediscovering 'old stuff', and this should be a impetus to study the old stuff to find some pearls. Obviously there's plenty of new stuff that is properly new, especially in a field as young as CS. But there's also a ton of stuff that just keeps being rediscovered. Looking back instead of stumbling upon the same idea eventually can give a programmer a huge advantage.