There's some nuance here. Research dollars get allocated in interesting ways that often reinforce the most mainstream approaches. And once some start down an

There's some nuance here. Research dollars get allocated in interesting ways that often reinforce the most mainstream approaches. And once some start down an approach (and become invested in it) there can be various kinds of resistance to going a different path. In fields that have social or political implications there are also strong forces pushing, as well. I'm not saying these effects are always overriding the desire for novelty in all cases, but it certainly happens.