One small backflip for a robot is one giant leaping backflip for humankind

Something that often bothers me about sci-fi is the loner inventor trope. A guy in a garage builds a robot, or AI, or frequently both that are somehow decades beyond the technology of his day, and all the wild implications of his vast technological leap are the fuel for the next two and a half hours of popcorn entertainment.
But the latest video from Boston Dynamics is the closest equivalent I've ever witnessed IRL. Sure, it’s the achievement of an entire company, and they’re doing i