Yes, there were remarkable things done in the past. I cherish a book I own about advances made in World War II (when Ann Arbor, Michigan, was a frequent source of such advances — a site of brain power that probabably _had_ to be avoided intentionally by the atomic weaponeers because it likely drew spies from the start of the war). And the Germans were the “new weapon” “wonder weapon” gang most already know about — the first jet fighter, the first rocket fighter (the Komet), and other advances that could have had a great effect on the outcome of the war but (as happened so often) were impeded by Hitler. (One example, which would have been used to good effect against not only England but against the east coast cities of the USA, was the successful launch of a ballistic missile from a submarine. Imagine the possible effects had that been applied and used in the war rather than ignored or suppressed!)