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A comment on Epistemic standards for “Why did it take so long to invent X?”. Parent comment

Re:Epistemic standards for “Why did it take so long to inven... by hammock on Sunday March 01, 2020 @09:59PM (#22461259)
The usefulness of a skunkworks-type operation is that you can fund R&D that has no market need, thus unnaturally accelerating the progress of technological innovation.
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Re:Epistemic standards for “Why did it take so long to inven... by kiba on Monday March 02, 2020 @12:00AM (#22461789)
Skunkworks usually have a customer, which may be the government or the company in question to fulfill their strategic needs.

SR-71 Blackbird and F-117 Stealth bomber come to mind.

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Re:Epistemic standards for “Why did it take so long to inven... by hammock on Monday March 02, 2020 @05:52PM (#22469953)
Of course they have a customer in the sense that someone is funding them and owns the product, however I would propose that there is not necessarily an immediate "need" or requirements given, and there is a high tolerance for undirected or self-directed research.
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