This is precisely the pattern of past winters. The technical achievements don't go anywhere. But the hype dwindles, and funding and public interest accordingly

This is precisely the pattern of past winters. The technical achievements don't go anywhere. But the hype dwindles, and funding and public interest accordingly, as disappointment and skepticism grows. It doesn't permanently stop progress, just as a burst economic bubble doesn't necessarily kill an economy. Just dramatically slows it, at great cost.