Nazi science: should we use it?
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Nazi science: should we use it?I was having a discussion with my Biology teacher today about Nazi science. They carried out lots of horrific and unethical experiments on Jews, Romas, homosexuals, etc but they made discoveries in medical science that our current scientists have only recently discovered.
Apparently it's a tabooed area for medical research; a lot of people daren't even look at it. But it's possible it could help by providing a lot of useful scientific information concerning health and medicine in humans.
What's people's opinion on this? Should we be using the information obtained by the Nazi's experimenting, or should we ignore it because of the horrors and torture it caused to thousands of innocent people? -
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Re: Nazi science: should we use it?yeah(Original post by a rusH)
I was having a discussion with my Biology teacher today about Nazi science. They carried out lots of horrific and unethical experiments on Jews, Romas, homosexuals, etc but they made discoveries in medical science that our current scientists have only recently discovered.
Apparently it's a tabooed area for medical research; a lot of people daren't even look at it. But it's possible it could help by providing a lot of useful scientific information concerning health and medicine in humans.
What's people's opinion on this? Should we be using the information obtained by the Nazi's experimenting, or should we ignore it because of the horrors and torture it caused to thousands of innocent people? -
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Re: Nazi science: should we use it?While the source of knowledge may have been horrific, it may stand to benefit many more. While it would make many, including myself, feel very uneasy if I was subject to treatment (to a hypothetical medical ailment) which was devised from dissecting living subjects I would still be grateful that there is a treatment at all.
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Re: Nazi science: should we use it?What the nazis did was absolutely horrendous and nobody can argue with that but I think it would be a shame not to use the information that is there. We can't turn back the clocks and stop their suffering but if we can use the data to stop people from suffering in the future then we should. In a way it would kind of give their deaths some meaning.
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Re: Nazi science: should we use it?Ditto that. I say use it!(Original post by 00raiser)
What's done is already done, if it can help with the current medical research I I don't see why not -
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Re: Nazi science: should we use it?(Original post by Chiko 1001)
The people have already suffered- not looking at it won't undo it. Surely some comfort for the victims and relatives would come from knowing it wasn't all for nothing?(Original post by Manitude)
While the source of knowledge may have been horrific, it may stand to benefit many more. While it would make many, including myself, feel very uneasy if I was subject to treatment (to a hypothetical medical ailment) which was devised from dissecting living subjects I would still be grateful that there is a treatment at all.(Original post by littleone271)
What the nazis did was absolutely horrendous and nobody can argue with that but I think it would be a shame not to use the information that is there. We can't turn back the clocks and stop their suffering but if we can use the data to stop people from suffering in the future then we should. In a way it would kind of give their deaths some meaning.(Original post by 00raiser)
What's done is already done, if it can help with the current medical research I I don't see why notThat's what I think, but if it is used then that would involve accepting something from an "evil" source- for instance, if you were poor and were given money, but you found out that money was obtained illegally (and cannot be reversed), most people wouldn't feel comfortable using it right? Would you refuse the money or just accept it because what's done is done?(Original post by Pranavian)
Ditto that. I say use it!Last edited by a rusH; 26-04-2012 at 23:37. -
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Re: Nazi science: should we use it?TSR at its liberal best here.
But I do agree, using it now won't kill anyone, quite the opposite, it'll only help people now. What happened was a complete disgrace, but its time the world moved on. -
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Re: Nazi science: should we use it?Only the sanctimonious would feel bad for using it. Their scientists were extremely talented and made many breakthroughs that we should be using.(Original post by a rusH)
That's what I think, but if it is used then that would involve accepting something from an "evil" source- for instance, if you were poor and were given money, but you found out that money was obtained illegally (and cannot be reversed), most people wouldn't feel comfortable using it right? Would you refuse the money or just accept it because what's done is done? -
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Re: Nazi science: should we use it?Eh?
You would be amazed at how much medical research was done by the nazis and how much is used today. Almost all the information on survival in extreme environments is influenced by Nazi research, and thus all survival suits, aircraft suits, spacesuits etc come from that. All sorts of unique operations; separating conjoined twins, organ transplants etc were first done by Nazi Germany. I dont believe anything new has come out recently; there was a reason that both the Western and Eastern powers (ie the UK, USA and USSR) desperatly wanted German scientists when the war ended.
Aside from that, all rocket research, much jet engine and fighter plane research, and an aweful lot of chemical research we use daily is of Nazi development. Companies like IG Faben which were one of the largest chemical companies in the world conducted all sorts of research under the Nazi regime and went on to commercially sell the results after the war. -
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Re: Nazi science: should we use it?Accept and give it away, either to a cause that would benefit those who suffered in the first place or, if for argument's sake it's not undoable, then to any cause I support. I agree that there are times taking money would be uncomfortable but there's always a way to make sure it's used responsibly.(Original post by a rusH)
That's what I think, but if it is used then that would involve accepting something from an "evil" source- for instance, if you were poor and were given money, but you found out that money was obtained illegally (and cannot be reversed), most people wouldn't feel comfortable using it right? Would you refuse the money or just accept it because what's done is done? -
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Re: Nazi science: should we use it?Yes we should. It sounds callous but who will it benefit by not using it? The victims of the experiments are dead, so what if the relatives see it as a dis-honor? It didn't happen to them, and it's rather selfish to purposefully hold back information that could otherwise, save others lives.
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Re: Nazi science: should we use it?No person, group of people, or nation, owns science; they can only claim to have found it and made use of it. Newton discovered gravity; he does not own it. As well the Nilometer, the ancient Egyptians are the first recorded to use antibiotics for ailments, but Alexander Fleming found penicilin. Science is not owned, it is found and used.
The Nazis are credited with inventing the modern warfare missile, but the Chinese are thought to have first invented the rocket. Along with the IBM punchcards the Nazis developed we also used missiles and still do. -
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Re: Nazi science: should we use it?(Original post by a rusH)
I was having a discussion with my Biology teacher today about Nazi science. They carried out lots of horrific and unethical experiments on Jews, Romas, homosexuals, etc but they made discoveries in medical science that our current scientists have only recently discovered.
Apparently it's a tabooed area for medical research; a lot of people daren't even look at it. But it's possible it could help by providing a lot of useful scientific information concerning health and medicine in humans.
What's people's opinion on this? Should we be using the information obtained by the Nazi's experimenting, or should we ignore it because of the horrors and torture it caused to thousands of innocent people?
generally speaking my stance is if benefit can now be drawn from it for modern science, patients etc, then it should. We cant undo the past, only learn from it.
Bit like the theory that a million dollars of drug money can still be used to house the homeless.
Afterall does anyone boycott VW cars today, given that it was Hitlers brainchild? -
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Re: Nazi science: should we use it?Well in fairness a lot of what we know about Anatomy etc was a result of Nazi experimentations as horrible as it sounds I mean look at some of the big Anatomy Books over time, german scientists wrote them.(Original post by a rusH)
I was having a discussion with my Biology teacher today about Nazi science. They carried out lots of horrific and unethical experiments on Jews, Romas, homosexuals, etc but they made discoveries in medical science that our current scientists have only recently discovered.
Apparently it's a tabooed area for medical research; a lot of people daren't even look at it. But it's possible it could help by providing a lot of useful scientific information concerning health and medicine in humans.
What's people's opinion on this? Should we be using the information obtained by the Nazi's experimenting, or should we ignore it because of the horrors and torture it caused to thousands of innocent people?
Remember that a lot of those who carried out the experiments were doing it on strict orders as opposed to genuinely wanting to perform live operations on another human being. It was one man's sinister and disturbing vision that forced a lot of people to do things they would never have contemplated had they not been threatened with execution (or their families being harmed). -
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Re: Nazi science: should we use it?Yes, it was horrible but it would be more cruel and an insult to the sufferings of people who suffered IMO if we did not use it...
Nearly everything about what the Nazi's did is overshadowed by the Holocaust and what they did to the Jews and other minorities which was truly terrible, but we have to realize they did also carry out a lot of research in areas like medicine, nuclear power, weapons technology etc... Their R&D was on par with the Americans at the time, or at the very least nearly on par.
