Topic: The unknown story of Stalin's brilliant scientist

[Mooning Freddy]

The 30's and 40's of the 20th century were a time of conflict, a time of crises, a time of great suffering, uncertainty, great hopes and most of all great obsessions and madness. The former empires of Europe were split between the ones who were bent on reforming the world and the ones bent on destroying the world and building it anew. The obsession of Europe with radical changes, both political and scientific gave rise to some of the greatest developments in science, technology and medicine. It also led to the greatest horrors performed in the name of science and progress.

Both Hitler and Stalin had brilliant scientists who worked to develop tools which could make their empires world leaders. One of them was Vladimir Demikhov.

http://gizmodo.com/5776600/the-story-of-the-giant-dog+headed-robot-that-never-was

[Lelygax]

Creepy, pretty interesting but creepy.

[X]

I honestly don't see such a thing during that time in history ever working with a dog. Not without some sort of computing program to assist the K-9 in some way or another. And such computer systems did not come into existence till sometime during the late 50's, early 60's. They'd have better luck using a human. But just looking at the image was slightly disturbing. I feel sorry for the animal in question and if animal rights activists were around back then just imagine the storm of controversy and outrage that would erupt.

[Lelygax]

if animal rights activists were around back then just imagine the storm of controversy and outrage that would erupt.

Nothing would have changed, since they dont even are respecting human rights when this happened.

[Mooning Freddy]

I feel sorry for the animal in question and if animal rights activists were around back then just imagine the storm of controversy and outrage that would erupt.

While I agree with you that the experiments look horrible don't forget they led to findings that made a revolution in medicine and save thousands, if not more lives every year. Dang, even today I find it hard to believe you can take an organ from a human, even dead one, transplant it in another person and it function as if it was his. Imagine how crazy that sounded 70 years ago.

Today, it seems like stem cell research is the future of medicine. 

[Ratty]

While I agree with you that the experiments look horrible don't forget they led to findings that made a revolution in medicine and save thousands, if not more lives every year. Dang, even today I find it hard to believe you can take an organ from a human, even dead one, transplant it in another person and it function as if it was his. Imagine how crazy that sounded 70 years ago.

It sounded crazy enough that there were stories proclaiming it as something "man was not meant to know" etc.

Movie Trailer - Mad Love (1935)

My favorite of these is "Mad Love". (based on the story "The Hands of Orlac") Which is about a Pianist who after having his hands transplanted with that of a murderer finds that his new hands are more fit for killing (specifically knife-throwing) than playing the Piano in a bit of tale-wagging-the-dog logic. Peter Lorre steals the show from Colin Clive though, in his role as the Doctor who demonstrates that science is evil and not to be trusted, as these little morality plays always insist.