I have noticed the same thing in a different context. When I was still in college, many art classes were essentially about historic trivia, paying absolutely no

I have noticed the same thing in a different context. When I was still in college, many art classes were essentially about historic trivia, paying absolutely no attention to the intent of the artists, the ideas they tried to express, and what they said about their own work. It was 99% about context and maybe 1% about content. The art was treated as a kind of societal byproduct. Now that you have mentioned it, inventors and technology are treated in a similar fashion. Not sure why. Maybe because historic biographies adopt their methodology from general history where kings and generals are simply dots in a larger picture that does try to describe the society of the time?