It appears that that story about the director of the Patent Office saying there's nothing more to invent is mostly made up, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cha

It appears that that story about the director of the Patent Office saying there's nothing more to invent is mostly made up, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_H._Duell http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_H._Duell or http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/22779.html http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/22779.html or the most detailed debunking: http://www.myoutbox.net/posass.htm http://www.myoutbox.net/posass.htm