Darwin's Dangerous Idea?

The BBC are continuing their celebration of the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth with a programme by farmer and gardener Jimmy Doherty reproducing some of Darwin's pains-taking experiments in 'Darwin's Garden' (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00j2drp/Jimmy_Doherty_in_Darwins_Garden_Dangerous_Ideas/) and political journalist Andrew Marr looking at Darwin's impact on politics and religion (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00j0c54/Darwins_Dangerous_Idea_Body_and_Soul/). The former programme showed how some very interesting and meaningful experiments can be carried out with very basic equipment. For example, the abilities of seeds of certain plants to survive extended periods in salt water (and consequently to be transported by the sea) was confirmed as were the casualties of competition between plants in a defined area. An experiment suggested by Darwin was also trialled tentatively confirming that the presence of cats increase the amount of Red clover. Red clover is pollinated by Bumble bees and Field mice raid Bumble bee nests. Cats eat the mice, increasing the numbers of Bumble bees to encourage the clover! I do think that in Science at present we often dispense with ingenuity and replace it by slick technology (sometimes to our loss). Andrew Marr explored how Darwin came to his views, how these views were presented, sometimes mis-utilised and sometimes attacked on the basis of religion. Interestingly, Marr sees there being a danger of converting Darwin into a deity (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7924423.stm), something that would have horrified Darwin. Science doesn't deal in absolutes but in probabilities. Darwin was more than aware of this.
Darwin is, of course, not the only person to have a 'dangerous' scientific idea. The Curie's concept of radioactive elements could be regarded as potentially problematic. The unknown (multiple?) 'inventors' of fire could be charged with having introduced something with dangerous potential. It's not the idea that is dangerous, it's the application that can be hazdardous. I suppose, however, that Darwin's theory is the first one everyone thinks involves them personally.