[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

"BUT, since the ‘product’ they put out means nothing (less than nothing actually) to the ones paying for it..."

Those boffins won WWII for us. And for you.

[ASOC]

True

THOSE boffins produced RADAR, chaff, fibreglass and a host of other commercially viable things.

But, come on when was the last time you went to the corner market looking for a Higgs Boson or a odd charmed quark? Not lately I'll wager.

I'd settle for a decent auto fuel substitute at a dollar a gallon.... or less than 10P/liter

/sarc