After all, those problems are on the edge because they're difficult to solve given the intellectual tools we have today

I would subtract the 'intellectual' there. This is true of empirical sciences (cf ever-larger particle colliders), but not anywhere near as true for softer sciences (cf schools of thought). While not strictly inventing 'genuinely new' tools, I think LessWrong is definitely one of the first communities where everyone is required to use high-quality power tools instead of whatever old hammer is lying around.