I thought about another example, and this is important.
Back in the sixties, there were two groups of design engineers at Boeing. I picture them at opposite ends of a hallway. The "A" team with all the brilliants from Cal Poly, RPI and MIT were working on the Next Generation of Aircraft - capable of supersonic cruise. The first model was the SST.
Down the hall was the "B" team, guys from Auburn and Georgia Tech. They were working on a big freighter, with room for two containers abreast and huge gross weights. This was the 747. They were told the passenger version was just a stop-gap until the SST ruled the world.
So... what happened? Massive amounts of public and private investment, all for nought in the SST case, though the Concorde had a decent (but non-profitable) run.
So... now the SST models are in museums, the Concordes are on poles and the 747-800 is taking off at a million pounds. I have no doubt in my graying skull that the 747-800 will be hauling freight for the next 50 years.
See.... we had the technology, but (say it together now) the COST / BENEFIT analysis didn't pan out....