No, you don't need mass war to catalyze major breakthroughs. True, but it is also true that periods of heightened tension even short of shooting wars do accele

No, you don't need mass war to catalyze major breakthroughs. True, but it is also true that periods of heightened tension even short of shooting wars do accelerate development. The Space Race is the classic example. The Internet is also a product of the Cold War. The jet engine was developed in the period before WW2 when things were already looking fraught. That’s historical fact; “worth it” is a whole ‘nother matter.