Science | Brains

The subjects of this article aren’t typical fare for this blog. I thought I’d make an exception, however. My wife has been a public school administrator in Marin for some years now. Many evening conversations have been about the increasing (perceived or actual) increase in autism, asperger’s syndrome and other behavioral / mental varieties in recent years. Other evenings, and emotions, are spent sorting out the behavioral dances of (this) man and (this) woman. The Simon Baron-Cohen piece following is one of the more interesting approaches I have seen to these topics.

“TWO big scientific debates have attracted a lot of attention over the past year. One concerns the causes of autism, while the other addresses differences in scientific aptitude between the sexes. At the risk of adding fuel to both fires, I submit that these two lines of inquiry have a great deal in common. By studying the differences between male and female brains, we can generate significant insights into the mystery of autism.”

The Male Condition – New York Times