Science

Like industrial production, scientific research was mobilized to aid the war effort, and scientists and engineers in all countries worked to develop more destructive weapons. The results of these efforts were such deadly weapons as napalm, magnetic mines, and the atomic bomb. However, some inventions had peaceful as well as wartime applications. Improved radar, jet engines, improved rockets, and more powerful computers were examples of these. There were also significant advances in medicine as a result of the war. Penicillin was manufactured in large quantities for the first time, blood plasma was widely used, and plastic surgery and other surgical procedures were improved.