3 ms·
DOE has been an epic failure in the past 30 years. Only a sliver of the budget going to solar cell and battery research. Not sure how much of that was because o
by crb002 10y ago
DOE has been an epic failure in the past 30 years. Only a sliver of the budget going to solar cell and battery research. Not sure how much of that was because of congressional earmarks, but Tesla is putting them to shame.
- LeifCarrotson 10y agoWhen one institution costs money to operate, and another makes money by operating, the latter will very quickly outstrip the former. Granted, not all desired behaviors can be made more profitable than their alternatives. But this is an example of how to encourage this sort of technological progress. We can be promoting electric cars not just because they are green but because they are awesome, or a free-market economy not just because it is more fair but because it works better, or no-till farming not just because it is better for the environment but because it produces higher profits, or space exploration not just because it is educational but because there are huge opportunities. When profitability is a part of the equation, most other motivators are weak in comparison.