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If the Indian rubber supply was destroyed or cut off due to border conflicts, and the Romans went on to discover Non-Newtonian synthetic silicone polymers, how would it have changed the face of warfare and the sweep of history since the time of Caesar?

Note that we were walking on the moon only 25 years after polydimethylsiloxane was discovered.

Edit: It's not "too broad" since I limited the scope to just warfare! Honest, that's the established precedent!

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  • $\begingroup$ One thing is for sure ... they would have had a lot more fun in those days ... that is if they didn't chop off the head of the inventor. $\endgroup$
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2
    Commented Nov 1, 2015 at 0:09
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    $\begingroup$ Who's to say they wouldn't have? Probably using feedstock from natural resources of conquered people, and keeping the emerging "chemestry" knowledge a state secret. $\endgroup$
    – JDługosz
    Commented Nov 1, 2015 at 0:25
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    $\begingroup$ I'm not sure that Silly Putty was a big part of walking on the moon. There are alternative ways to secure tools, even in zero-g. Also, we still have the ability to make Silly Putty, but we're still at least ten years away from walking on the moon, same as we were fifteen years after discovery. I'm also unclear on why disrupting trade with India 1500 or more years before they had rubber would make the Romans look for alternatives. $\endgroup$
    – Brythan
    Commented Nov 1, 2015 at 12:54
  • $\begingroup$ @Brythan it is a parody (or hyper-exemplar) of this type of question, and emphasizes the flaws as well as the form. $\endgroup$
    – JDługosz
    Commented Nov 1, 2015 at 22:56

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