GC043 Social Darwinism and Eugenics

Geek Counterpoint -- Your antidote to soundbite science!

So-called social "Darwinism" and eugenics are two intertwined topics that always seem to come up whenever somebody wants to insult, or at least disparage, the scientific community in general. Realistically, though, neither one is really "Darwinian," and both represent the misuse and abuse of some basic biological concepts when applied in social and political contexts. Tune in this week, and you'll be prepared to fend off that annoying creationist who likes to insist that Charles Darwin was somehow responsible for the Holocaust.