Spectrum: Autism Research News

In the past few days, the New York Times has run a couple of articles featuring people with autism.

In the past few days, the New York Times has run a couple of articles featuring people with autism.

Autism is sometime called the result of an ‘extreme male brainʼ.

Between Thursday and Sunday last week, New York played host to the first annual World Science Festival, a fantastic lineup of events featuring more than 125 of the worldʼs most brilliant and original thinkers.

Everyone in the scientific community is talking about Francis Collinsʼ unexpected decision to step down on 1 August as director of the US National Human Genome Research Institute.

When we write news articles for this website, we sometimes struggle with the most respectful and appropriate language to use in talking about autism.

I try not to spend too much time on the vaccine theories because as far as Iʼm concerned, theyʼre well-trod territory: all evidence suggests that neither thimerosal, nor the triple jab for mumps-measles-rubella (MMR) causes autism.

I wrote last week about Temple Grandin saying that autism ― or at least Aspergerʼs ― has always been around. She believes that many scientists and thinkers, including Albert Einstein, had autism, and others around them just thought they were nerdy.

Imagine a church steeple. What do you see? A general image of a steeple that broadly resembles steeples anywhere? Or a series of snapshots, each one a detailed recollection of a real steeple?

The bill barring genetic discrimination, which I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, last week made it through the House 414-1. Once President Bush signs it into law, it will allow people to be tested for diseases without fear of discrimination of any kind.