Many things were adopted in the war which we were told were technically impossible, but patience, perseverance, and, above all, the spur of necessity under war conditions, made men’s brains act with greater vigour, and science responded to the demands.
Churchill argues that wartime necessity accelerated scientific and technical innovation by forcing people to reconsider what had previously been judged impossible. Under intense pressure, established assumptions were challenged, resources were concentrated and researchers and engineers persisted with problems that might otherwise have been abandoned. In his account, patience and perseverance were as important as urgency in turning difficult ideas into workable solutions.
The statement reflects the unusually rapid development and adoption of technologies during the Second World War. Churchill does not suggest that war is necessary for scientific progress, but observes that extreme circumstances can change priorities and increase the effort devoted to solving practical problems. More broadly, the quotation illustrates how necessity, sustained attention and willingness to question accepted limits can stimulate innovation. It can be applied to technical work and research where an initial judgement of impossibility may change through experimentation, persistence and new approaches.