[tinfoil hat on] They don’t. They have pieces of things they didn’t understand, electromagnetic waves hit it one way and come back stronger. Eventually a scientist must have handled one and realize the potential.
[tinfoil hat off]
Regardless if this material is natural or artificial we cant just make it ourselves, our own technology and industry has yet to get to the level of the example material. Hence the funding.
There is a popular(*?) podcast or interview where a scientist shows some of it. Apparently if you have the right credentials you can borrow what is essentially a plastic bag labeled “Boston” with some black rock shards in it. Of course the nature of origin remains pure speculation but i really wish i knew the link to send you.
*I rarely watch podcasts, but it looked credible and serious to me and i’ve seen their face before, not joe rogan