> Second, you worked in the chemical industry for over 10 years. I'm sure
> you're familiar with the names 3M, Dupont and BASF, just to name those.
> Don't think for a second that these companies don't have large R&D depts
> that work round the clock trying to come up with newer compounds

I was under the impression that 3M's main business is *manufacturing* 
plastics, not designing new ones. (Actually, I was under the impression 
that 3M manufactures finished products that have plastic _in_ them, but 
I guess they probably sell raw plastic to other people...)

> Have you noticed how nowadays most eye glasses are made of plastic?
> Clear plastics with higher IOR (sorry for getting slightly on-topic for
> P.O-T) than glass were unheard of 30 years ago. The progresses made in
> the domain of contact lenses is even more impressive than that of
> conventional glass lenses.

Really? I thought *all* transparent materials have an IOR different than 
air. As in, it's impossible to *avoid* this (e.g., if you wanted to make 
a kind of "invisible glass", you can't do it.)

> The "technical" garment industry has also greatly benefited from these
> new polymers. You're a skier, so you've most certainly seen the
> 74732327523 tags that are sewn or attached on a new ski jacket or
> gloves, touting the amazing breathability, yet still impermeable,
> feather light, yet warm as a mammoth pelt, machine washable, yet won't
> fade properties these clothes now offer.

I thought that all of those claims were radically exaggerated marketing, 
and that these materials are basically identical to what we had 40 years 
ago.

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