Comment by gsf_emergency_6

To add a meta contribution to yours using anecdotes:

US pipeline for metallurgical R&D broken (by financial/cultural incentives)

This guy studied metallurgy in Carleton U, Canada, switched to CS, founded YC, emotionalized the decision

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39600555

Who knows, he might have become John Carmack's John Carmack, building rockets better than Carmack or Elon