"Most scientific progress has come from the "fringes" of the mainstream, that which we might consider orthodox knowledge"

What was before was a science that was just fledgling (protoscience) with the scientific method clearly defined in the 19th century. Although before that the humanity used tools that resembled principles of the scientific method.
Currently, the mainstream understanding of the universe is actually mostly pseudoscience and BS contradicting scientific discovery, starting with including religions or hippy mumbo jumbo beliefs.

You didn't answer my questions.