[raj bhatia]

"Much of what we take for granted - including this laptop on which I am now typing my reply - is rooted in Cold War era defense research projects and Apollo moon landing technology"

More importantly, most it it was obscure theoretical science a few decades ago. Without a sound theoretical basis, even the fundamental devices would fail, let alone a laptop with layers of complexity.

[Logophile]

More importantly, most it it was obscure theoretical science a few decades ago. Without a sound theoretical basis, even the fundamental devices would fail, let alone a laptop with layers of complexity.

Can you be more specific? Which "fundamental devices" do you have in mind?

[From many - one.]

After WWII funding for the the sciences lapsed ...until sputnik.

You'd think that 9-11 and the anthrax events would warn us to stay ahead of the game but somehow it's not happening.