[wacki]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
.... Displays that pretty well. The development of the IC was about weight and power which was required for NASA missions. Monetary profit of some corporation had nothing to do with the decision to go for ICs. Development of the IC was going to happen "at all costs". ....

[/ QUOTE ]

While I agree with your points here, I have some serious doubts that government agencies are up to tasks like this today. My pessimism stems from working many years for defense contractors and DOE funded national lab. Could be convinced otherwise though.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is something I definitely need to learn more about. Nobel Laureate Richard Smalley, who pushed the Apollo Energy program, was highly critical of the DOE and their ability to get tasks done. I found that criticism coming from him strange as not only was it at odds with his Apollo energy program but the vast majority of breakthroughs in solar technology came from DOE funded projects. So the DOE seemed to be good at something. Maybe it was due to the lack of competition. He said this country needs to be motivated the way Kennedy motivated the US when we decided to go to the moon. There may be a very real possibility that this country might need something equivalent of a technological and environmental pearl harbor or sputnik scare in order to get on their feat and solve the problems facing us. (heh now I'm sounding like a neocon) Humans are infamous for ignoring distant dangers. The political situation seems to be far more complex then my current knowledge allows me to understand and literature on this topic is simply hard to come by. I certainly sympathize with your sentiments but unfortunately I am unable to contribute much.