Darwin, Design, and Phototropism

The first exposure to scientific experimentation for many a precocious youngster is putting a bean seedling in a box, poking a hole to let some light in, and watching the seedling grow toward the light even after it is turned around. The study of this phenomenon, called phototropism, has a long history -- but questions remain.

An article in Current Biology on phototropism (plants' attraction to light) reminds readers that Charles Darwin wrote more than The Origin of Species and The Descent o...