(1) and (2) might empirically-speaking look similar over long enough timescales. Also if (2) is correct then fundamental progress, arising from periodic breakt

(1) and (2) might empirically-speaking look similar over long enough timescales. Also if (2) is correct then fundamental progress, arising from periodic breakthroughs, depends more upon who we are than what we do. Doing stuff would then lead to incremental improvements which are still important but which depend themselves on previous breakthroughs.