Alan von Altendorf

Has Stagnating Innovation Led to This Economic Crisis?

Apollo: "This was done mainly to link universities and various government labs so that they could share information more easily." Minor quibble: if I remember correctly ARPAnet was created to link defense research labs with redundant packet switching to better survive nuclear attack, civil war, telco outage, etc.

The problem with R&D spending and US patent statistics is that we're not measuring quality of basic research -- only quantity of applied science and technology. Government subsidy of academic programs have worsened, not improved the situation.

I suppose it could be argued that there's nothing left to invent, but I'd be much happier to see more industrial research and -- well, nevermind -- the days of Edison bargaining with Gould or a farmboy from Utah trumping RCA are long gone. So is RCA.

Has Stagnating Innovation Led to This Economic Crisis?

I just reread your article again. Fabulous, man. Ought to be printed in every major newspaper, read aloud in Congress.

Has Stagnating Innovation Led to This Economic Crisis?

Utterly brilliant, Sean. Exactly so, except to add that quant "rocket science" was foolish and flawed, waving off inherent risk as a statistical black swan. The brain drain was exascerbated by the pull of fast money, but I wonder how smart those sell side guys were?