The Transistor, Part 1: Groping in the Dark
Yes, this is a classic story.  Crystal diodes were known prior to WWII, and produced in bulk during WWII for radar systems. That resulted in commercial crystal growing technology. Bell Labs and Western Electric did much of that, so the technology for making crystals with controlled properties was coming along.  That's the first step in the process of making transistors and ICs.<p>The first big technology that really required theory and heavy math was AC power. That's what Tesla was noted for. DC you can do with ordinary arithmetic, but AC rotary machine design requires calculus. That was a big shock to engineers of the era.  Edison never made that transition.<p>Up until the early 20th century, science and engineering didn't talk much.