In his apology to Kangana Ranaut over the IIFA controversy, Saif Ali Khan said it was easy to confuse nepotism with genetics. Maybe, he said, There is something in the genes too that makes many of Raj Kapoors descendants actors or Pataudis cricketers. I think its actually eugenics and genetics thats coming into play. Obviously you wanted to know what the meaning of eugenics is and just what it had to do with nepotism. But youve had a long week and youre too lazyto look it up yourself. So we did.

Thanks to the good folks over at Merriam Webster Dictionary we now know that eugenics refers to the study of improving population through controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics. In simple English, it is a belief that discourages the mating of people who have genetic defects and encourages reproduction between fit people so as to improve the genetic quality of a group of individuals

While the first recorded use of eugenics can be dated to the late 1800s, the concept itself goes back to ancient Greece. Plato, the Greek philosopher, had suggested selecting mating so as to build a class of warriors.In fact the word itself has Greek roots and is derived from the Greek word eu suggesting well or good) and genes meaning born. And so eugenics can be loosely translated as well-born.

The word was coined by one Francis Galton, who would have for ever lived in the shadow of his far famous half-cousin Charles Darwin until the time hesuggested that that desirable human qualities were hereditary traits. Galton wanted to extendDarwinstheory (which essentially seeksto explain the development of animal and plant species) and apply it to human beings. Darwin, of course, disagreed with this elaboration. A year after Darwins passing, in 1883, Galton went ahead and named his research, eugenics.

What made eugenics controversial in modern times was the idea that human character was affected purely by genes and ones surroundings and education had almost nothing to do with how a person turned out.

Like with all things, arguments can be made for and against the belief. Negative eugenics suggests eliminating those who are deemed undesirables through abortions and sterilisations. These could includepeople who are morally, mentally or physically deviant. The Holocaust is the most apt example of negative eugenics that involved the mass murder of not just homosexuals and the physically disabled but also attempted to wipe out an entire race of people.

Positive eugenics is usually aimed at creating a genetically advantaged race of people through processes such as in vitro fertilization and egg transplants. AndRobert Klark Graham, the optometrist who made his millions for inventing plastic eyeglass lenses, is a classic example of positive eugenics. Graham, who hoped to create a master race of intelligent children, started a sperm bank that only accepted donations from Nobel Laureates. 217 children were born out of the programme and some, whove revealed their identity, have displayed remarkable intelligence. The programme was shut down soon after Grahams passing away. (ALSO READ The oddest and most unnecessary things of the worlds richest people have done)

On that, we are as clueless as Saif Ali Khan is in the picture above.

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Eugenics: What is the meaning of eugenics and what does it have to do with nepotism? - GQ India