Indigenous Memes

Colonial powers claiming they'd adopt indigenous ideas "for science" is like saying you're borrowing someone's car "for research purposes" before driving it off a cliff. Darwin's skeptical face says it all - that moment when you realize "scientific exploration" was just a fancy euphemism for "we're taking your stuff and putting our names on it." The botanical gardens of Europe were basically stolen plant collections with Latin labels slapped on them. Next time someone tells you about the "discovery" of a medicinal plant that indigenous people had been using for centuries, just picture Darwin's disappointed beard shake.