The Wall St. Journal reports that Google Inc. is placing time limits on its research and development projects. Known for its heavy investment in R&D, Google reportedly spent $9.8 billion on R&D last year and has reaped lucrative rewards from its in house innovations and designs. But Prof. Anne Marie Knott, tells the WSJ that in 2013 Google “was nearing her estimate of the optimal investment on R&D, beyond which companies generally see diminishing returns.”  Article is behind WSJ subscriber paywall.