Dick, I hate to poop on your pooping,
but darned if it usually isn't a good idea to fund testing, almost to the point that it's little matter what the testing is.
And it's quite naive to suggest that nothing came of it. Seldom is any note taken of the patents (new ideas) that always spill out of those things. And seldom is any noise made about any of it.
One good result is always the same...... we keep that part of our industry working and thinking. And training, so to speak, for the next wildass, dumb idea triggered test that turns out to produce something like teflon. Darned if it wasn't discovered while something else was the target.
Whatever................