Progress requires innovation to be recognized and accepted. History is full of examples of venerable committees who refused to accept new paradigms simply because those departures conflicted with their pre-conceptions of what was or could be possible. In the U.K., a classic example was the refusal by the Ministry of Aircraft Production in the 1930s to recognize Frank Whittle's fundamental work on the jet engine, a failure compounded by the necessity to share the technology with wartime partners who naturally became peacetime competitors. While our area of interest is never likely to include such a stark example, it is necessary to be aware of the dangers of not recognizing and nurturing innovation, even if it seems to conflict with our own pre-conceived conceptions. These thought were reinforced by comments made by Julius Ballanco in the June edition of PM Engineer relating to Air Admittance Valves (AAVs).