"Most certainly. Combining his work in engines with his chemical researches alone..." Kristoff cites various technical points of information illustrating the ingenuity involved, and ways he would have weighed the scientific risks differently than Dr. Richards had.
"Some of his patents are simply being sat on instead of revolutionizing transportation and security on a broad scale, but then, there may be business concerns I am unaware of involved in that. The American economy is not my field." A polite nod to the better expert on the subject ... a fascinating trait Kristoff has that he must have learned from his mother.
"Thank you. Merely an Unfortunate Incident due to my ... confusion at that age," he says drily. He's a diplomat now, after all.