As laypeople we seem to think about this issue much like programmers think about algorithmic efficiency ... who cares if my code is messy, slow and non-optimal,

As laypeople we seem to think about this issue much like programmers think about algorithmic efficiency ... who cares if my code is messy, slow and non-optimal, all I need to do is wait a few years for CPU speed to double and nobody will notice. i.e. most people think, just wait a few years until the scientists develop a better antibiotic. Cat and mouse.