Did the Nazi science experiments ever lead to any vital contributions to science? Or was it just for the sake of being cruel?

German scientists were the first to suspect a link between smoking and cancer. The German government stamped heavily on smoking, outrightly banning it in most places.

Nazis put a man on the Moon. The American rocket program wasn’t going anywhere without von Braun and his chums.

For years the Pernkopf Topographical Anatomy of Man was used to train surgeons. Written and illustrated by nazis.

The painkiller Methadone was invented by nazis. Today it’s used to wean off junkies.

There’s tons of stuff that the nazis did in physics, chemistry, and biology that later came in useful. Why did they experiment on people? Because under the nazi regime, experimenting on animals was illegal.

The nazis were extraordinarily keen on physical fitness and made people do two hours per day. Which did not escape notice later on.

See? And you thought it was all goose-stepping, torchlight, and silly trousers.

Ich bin ein cert to vin ze knobbly knees contest in Stuttgart Butlin’s zis year!

I blame the Third Reich. Or possibly the fourth.