Genetics in the Madhouse: The Unknown History of Human Heredity

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By Theodore M. Porter *81

Published March 7, 2018

Before we knew about genes, doctors pointed to heredity as a cause for madness, and they, along with government officials, became obsessed with preventing families of the insane from reproducing. Genetics in the Madhouse (Princeton University Press) looks at the data techniques used, and how they developed eugenics.

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The cover of PAW’s November 2024 issue, featuring an illustration of a military tank that's made out of a pink brain, and the headline "Armed With Ideas: Princetonians lead think tanks through troubled political times."
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