Comments on: Genetics of autism: is it safe to marry an engineer?

By: Aken

Aken — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:24:53 +0000

My HS student with Asperger’s has a great sense of humor, but only for jokes he told (and preferably made up himself). A fascinating autobiographical book on Asperger’s is “Look Me in the Eye” by John Elder Robison. Diagnosed as an adult, he was persuaded to write about his life by his younger brother who authored “Running With Scissors” (last name Burroughs)

By: bioephemera.com » A Different Kind of Asperger's

bioephemera.com » A Different Kind of Asperger's — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 22:10:37 +0000

[…] reservations, I’m now pretty sure I have Asperger’s myself. Which may make it unwise to marry an engineer after […]

By: My Biotech Life » Gene Genie #12 aka The Dozen

My Biotech Life » Gene Genie #12 aka The Dozen — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 00:35:44 +0000

[…] has a great post on the subject of autism that starts off with an amusing comic strip (quite funny!). AutismVox also has a quick look into […]

By: cap'n Stevo

cap'n Stevo — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 16:47:03 +0000

of interest to “mdvlist”?:

Kurt Vonnegut attributed the same anecdote of the scientist absent-mindedly tipping his wife for breakfast to his fictitious Manhattan Project genius Dr. Felix Hoenikker in “Cat’s Cradle”. I was excited to see that anectode relayed in the comments here because, whether based on a real character or not, Dr. Hoenikker definitely came to mind when I read this post.

By: cicada

cicada — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 23:05:16 +0000

Wunx, I thought of you and your Engineer when choosing a title! Hopefully it didn’t scare you for any amount of time, as it’s obviously tongue in cheek. I quite like engineers, myself, so I think you’re pretty lucky. Good luck with that Fibonacci series. . .

D: thanks for the book recommendation! I heard an interview with Collins when it came out a few years ago, and was impressed, but it completely slipped my mind. I’ve stuck it back on my Wishlist and will get to it as soon as I can.

By: D

Sat, 21 Jul 2007 13:02:05 +0000

One of my favorite authors Paul Collins, wrote a wonderful book about the history and science of autism, feral children, and his personal experiences with his own autistic son. He also touches on his and his wifes autistic qualities and what that means. It’s called “Not even wrong” and is an excellent read.

By: Wunx~

Wunx~ — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 16:23:36 +0000

Since I’m married to an engineer (a PhD - an UberEngineer) your blog title gave me quite a rush. My speculation was that there was something in my genetic makeup that would cause me to become autistic, prehaps due to the frustration of trying to communicate with him. It does sometimes make me want to go sit in a corner with a blanket over my head. I will have to try the Fibonacci Series.

By: Daedalus2u

Daedalus2u — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 00:17:11 +0000

I think that being on the ASD spectrum is a purely human trait, and that it evolved. I have written up an explanation of how I think it is mediated by exposure to low NO in utero. Humans are characterized by making and using tools. Who is the “best” at making and using tools? People with Asperger’s.

By: Do you have an engineer in the family?

Do you have an engineer in the family? — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 21:20:03 +0000

[…] Is it safe to marry an engineer? asks Bioephemera in a post today. […]

By: mdvlist

mdvlist — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:41:30 +0000

Having known both plain old autistic kids and Asperger’s kids (and their totally normal siblings), I’ve never been able to make my own (unscientific) leap onto any of the This-Causes-Autism bandwagons. Nothing has ever seemed quite convincing to me (probably, I suppose, because *nobody* who doesn’t have an autistic child has yet to be convinced by any of the bandwagon theories). I find the genetic hypothesis more convincing than the vaccine hypothesis, but mostly because it is SO much more complicated. Two grad school friends have ended up with autistic children, and since they were both humanities scholars, my 19 on the test to which you linked isn’t as encouraging as it should be. One of said friends told the story of how his grandfather, who worked on the Manhattan Project, was so focused on his work that he once tipped his wife as he left the house after breakfast. THAT certainly lends anecdotal support to the genetics argument . . . .