[dmix]

Wasn't it somewhat of a natural progression? The world was making multiple major discoveries, tons of new developments in pharma and psychology research, the space race, plus how Telecom, satellites and radio communications impact on spying etc.

It makes sense that spies would dream up some super drug that makes people talk. The El Dorado miracle pill to solve hard human problems... you combine that with technological exuberance of the era and cold war pressure, it makes sense.

You don't need to have Nazi imports or any one motivation to explain why they tried.

The circumstances of them unethically testing it on civilians is another matter.