BillP wrote:

Yep... Even if the stuff IS suitable for applications like eyeglasses,
there's still the "military lag" factor... Us civilians likely won't
see any benefit from it for years, if ever.


Ayyyup!
Bill

I can remember many technologies where the lag has been in the other
direction. Sometimes getting a new material or new electronic
technology through the mil spec certification means that military
applications lag civil ones. Transistor is a good example.

Same with ICs. While I did not work directly on the VHSIC program,
others in my group did, and it was funny to see commercial ICs come out
that were better, more transistors, and fast before the results of the
VHSIC program ever made it to production.

There were, and still are, commercial values for high tech electronics.
I also remember seeing carbon fiber make it to commercial uses before
it was used in production military aircraft.