Originally posted by Rosuav

But we need that research or society as a whole can't move forward. So what's the answer?
The answer my friend, is the space race. All of that research will either be the product of a war (cold or otherwise) or a massive space exploration project. Cell phones, Microwaves, Ballpoint pens, contact lenses, modern polymers in general, computers that fit on a desk let alone a single normal sized room, all of these things are the result of either a war or the space race, or the combination of the two.