This is a sort of punctuated optimization that is natural in any technology. When a fundamental technology is evolving rapidly, not much effort is put into opt

This is a sort of punctuated optimization that is natural in any technology. When a fundamental technology is evolving rapidly, not much effort is put into optimization. It instead goes into keeping the momentum of evolving the fundamental technology. When it hits a physical limitation, everyone scrambles to now optimize. Until the next generation of fundamental tech shows up and evolves rapidly again. Think about air travel and how every airline is now all about fuel efficiency. A single new technology eg: a new battery chemistry that is say, 2x as energy dense as the best right, now comes along, electric air propulsion will become a major thing. And airlines will be scrambling to offer faster, quieter options that may not necessarily be the most efficient.