Recently, I contemplated what might be a good study project for a grad or doctoral student. Basically, it's called "What year do you live in?" It would be a series of forms having questions with multiple choice and fill-in-the blank answers for the subject. For example, one form would ask about your car and what features it had. If a particle set of features were available in, say, 1966, you are still driving in 1966, regardless of the actual year you're living in or the model year of your car.
If, for example, you still use a slide rule to competenlty peform your engineering work, you are working in a period between 1622 and 1975, regardless of the kind of work you do or fancy new tools are available to you.
Most people use ball point pens to write with. Or pencils. Has anything fundemental about the fancy ball-point pen set you bought this year change from a mass produced set produced in the 60's?
How about the beer you drink? Is it still made the same way the monks brewed it 200 years ago? Or the corporation made it 50 years ago? Which is better?
I think such a study would provide some interesting insights in what real technological advancements we've made and which ones have a real impact on our lives.