Nazi Science? Alternate History Thread...

[NineBerry]

Yes. I am German. My superior advanced scientific knowledge tells me so.

[Jason]

Where is your natural tendency to obey orders?

[NineBerry]

I am obeying all the orders given to me by the socialist New World Order government

[Jason]

It is a stereotype, but German engineering is actually very good. Especially in regards to military hardware. The HK G36, used by the Bundeswehr and others, is possibly the best assault rifle in use today. The Leopard 2 tank is the most advanced MBT in active service today. I've worked with a lot of German hardware and it's always quality. You guys don't cut corners.

[NineBerry]

You guys don't cut corners.

We would be violating Apple patents by cutting corners.

[Jason]

Apple's new assault rifle: The iShoot.

[Seabass]

It is a stereotype, but German engineering is actually very good. Especially in regards to military hardware. The HK G36, used by the Bundeswehr and others, is possibly the best assault rifle in use today.

Is it better than this thing? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FN_SCAR

This one is always best in video games...

[Jason]

Personally, I don't know. The SCAR is quite new and I've never handled one. It's not been battle tested and is only in use by special forces.

Also, it's Belgian. FN -> Fabrique Nationale. So it comes from a Germanic/French country.

[klr]

It is a stereotype, but German engineering is actually very good. Especially in regards to military hardware. The HK G36, used by the Bundeswehr and others, is possibly the best assault rifle in use today. The Leopard 2 tank is the most advanced MBT in active service today. I've worked with a lot of German hardware and it's always quality. You guys don't cut corners.

Heinkel He 177

Anyway, the Nazis were only in power for a very short time, much too short to inspire a positive science revolution. They did, however, manage in that time to bollix up a few scientific areas where Germany had been a world leader.

[Jason]

I don't know about that. The rocket program started in Nazi Germany eventually sent manned missions to the moon and the benefits to mankind from that technological feat of engineering have been legion. They didn't practice 'pure science', that much is certain.

[Jason]

Speaking of crummy WWII German bombers.. what was that one which was a converted passenger craft? It was a four engine death trap and possibly their only long range heavy bomber.

[klr]

Fw 200 Condor. A converted airliner alright, with a squarish fuselage cross-section. Not the strongest possible design.

The Nazis screwed up radar development and nuclear research, to name but two key areas. Ditto for computer development. Their appreciation of OR (Operations Research) was in the stone-age compared to that of the UK and USA. In other words, they didn't apply a scientific approach to issues such as convoy management and escort.

[klr]

I don't know about that. The rocket program started in Nazi Germany eventually sent manned missions to the moon and the benefits to mankind from that technological feat of engineering have been legion. They didn't practice 'pure science', that much is certain.

The rocket program may have started in earnest in Nazi Germany, but there was nothing in it of a "Nazi" character - unless you count the slave labour used (and often killed) in the building of rockets. Von Braun was deep into rocket research before the Nazis came to power. One might as well speak of "Soviet science" being a critical factor in winning all the early battles in the space race.

[Jason]

By using the word 'Nazi' I mean to make it clear that I'm referring to Germany under the control of the Nazi party - it used to be a PC thing.

But Werner von Braun was undoubtedly a Nazi member.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

By using the word 'Nazi' I mean to make it clear that I'm referring to Germany under the control of the Nazi party - it used to be a PC thing.

But Werner von Braun was undoubtedly a Nazi member.

Yep. Der Frage was designed to weed out the nasty Nazis.