[cpp_frog]

Also, WWII accelerated many discoveries in several areas of mathematics (in America, at least): statistics, optimization, control, numerical analysis. To such an extent, that many of those discoveries are still the main object of study in their respective areas and are being extended to more general versions.

[tut-urut-utut]

yeah, great, let's start a few more wars to foster progress and inventions ...

/s

[lifeisstillgood]

Well, how can we get the benefit of wars without the obvious downsides?

Fast feedback loops, obvious win / lose results (a battle takes a few hours, you are dead or not).

Randomly fire members of upper management (equivalent of organisational change by enemy sniper action)?

[esyir]

The research end wasn't really the section getting hit by sniper fire, so that bit probably won't fly.