It is interesting to me that among all the other things that stand out as "history rhyming," advances in chemistry seemed to precede great upheavals as well. Ammonia, nitroglycerin, potassium nitrate... tools that have great peacetime uses, but hold such power that they are inevitably drafted into the next war. electric-plate carbon collection for graphene is fascinating, and if it can hold a charge without radiating heat like crazy it could obsolete entire lithium mines.