Today would have been the 100th birthday of Wernher von Braun, an amazing scientist whose complicated legacy includes both engines of war and one of humankind’s greatest achievements.
Is von Braun the guy who got us to the Moon? Or is he the guy whose V2 rockets wreaked havoc on behalf of the Nazis, and who designed ballistic missiles for the United States? Frankly, he’s both. Sometimes, we can respect a person’s genius without respecting all of their choices.
With that in mind, please enjoy this satiric sort-of-tribute to von Braun, performed sometime in the 1960s by singer-songwriter/satirist/mathematician Tom Lehrer.
Via Matt Novak