Jerry Taylor writes:
One can't swing a dead cat in Washington these days without hitting someone who's ranting about how plug-in hybrid vehicles (part gasoline engine, part battery-powered engine, but rechargeable like a wall appliance) are the wave of the future. Of course, if they really were the wave of the future, there would be no need for ranting in Washington - automobile manufacturers would be busy making them as we speak.
Yes, just like happened with the internet, and the highways, every discovery at a public university, and so many other elemental facets of contemporary life that the corporate sector only jumped into after the government had funded or conducted the early, costly, low-return research.
This actually brings up a good question: We all know the basic infrastructure innovations the Feds have pioneered (the web through DARPA, the highways, all manner of drugs), but is there a comprehensive list anywhere of innovations that have come out of federal efforts or funds? Can we create one?
