Death in the Garden

“Since Darwin’s death, all has not been rosy in the evolutionary garden. The theories of the Great Bearded One have been hijacked by cranks, politicians, social reformers—and scientists—to support racist and bigoted views. A direct line runs from Darwin, through the founder of the eugenics movement—Darwin's cousin, Francis Galton—to the extermination camps of Nazi Europe.”

Martin Brookes, “Ripe old age,” New Scientist 161(2171):41, 1999.