CATL will start mass producing sodium-ion batteries

[Kayakguy]

I get what you are saying and certainly fraud and abuse is the result when expenses aren't monitored and verified. My undergraduate degree was in pharmacy, I didn't practice as a pharmacist for long but one "60 minutes" episode from back then stuck in my mind. It was one where hospital medication costs were examined. Dollars for an aspirin or tylenol sounds outrageous but pharmacy was just a revenue center for funding the entire hospital service package. It didn't go to the pharmacy operating budget per se. When I was young 60 minutes seemed like such a hard hitting expose' news show but on subjects that I had more knowledge of it just came off as sensationalist yellow journalism. I haven't watched 60 minutes in decades but at least back then it was a pre-internet version of "click bait".
Some govt funded programs like NASA have resulted in advances that wouldn't have been achieved as well or advance as quickly by the private sector alone. Same with mandated pollution control and vehicle safety. At least that is my impression.

Color video cameras were a direct consequence of the Apollo moon program. Whether that turns out to be ultimately a good thing remains to be seen.

 

[teskow]

Just like seat belts, air bags, pollution controls, removing lead from gasoline, child-safe booster seats, etc. (I can remember as a kid being able to stand up on the front seat while riding). All of these changes were opposed by consumers, for the most part. I'm not sure I'd want to shift into regressive mode on all these issues, though.

I remember going through Gary Indiana when the yellow sulfur smoke was so thick you couldn't take a deep breath or see very far ahead of yourself.

 

[Kayakguy]

Price may be one, what about non toxic and not having flammability issues?

I'm glad for any and every step forward in battery tech. It all builds on past success.

One of our English peculiarities (amongst many) is that flammable and inflammable mean the same thing. To get the opposite, you have to say something like "flameproof" or "self-extinguishing" or "not inclined to burst into flame spontaneously when you are least expecting it."