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 Autism and geeks

 Author:  Topic:  Posted:
Dec 17, 2001
 Comments:

Wow, Adequacy as per usual is right on the button. The following story in Wired magazine shows what happens when geeks breed: they produce more autistic children. Talk about Darwinism in action...
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Thanks... (none / 0) (#1)
by ana on Mon Dec 17th, 2001 at 11:28:47 AM PST
Interesting link. Suddenly the world makes more sense...

A
Why not?

 
Breeding programs (none / 0) (#2)
by zikzak on Mon Dec 17th, 2001 at 12:09:53 PM PST
Perhaps we should institute breeding programs that match up Silicon Valley autistics with the inner-city African-Americans of The Bell Curve.

Just imagine: Cadres of socially functional, mulatto hip-hop geeks!

 
Very interesting... (none / 0) (#3)
by hauntedattics on Mon Dec 17th, 2001 at 02:30:08 PM PST
This is the first time I've seen autism tied to something more cultural/sociological.

There is a lot of speculation out there that the onset of autism is somehow related to immunization programs, specifically booster shots. Some people have taken this as gospel already and are (stupidly, IMO) refusing to get their children immunized.

There may also be a link between autism and allergies. My friend's little boy is high-functioning autistic and has 39 known food allergies. Keeping him on a strict diet apparently helps keep him functioning more normally.




 
Hah, they have an online test. (none / 0) (#4)
by em on Mon Dec 17th, 2001 at 10:38:48 PM PST
test.

I scored 18. Completely average.
--em
Associate Editor, Adequacy.org

Slightly above average, you mean. (none / 0) (#5)
by RobotSlave on Mon Dec 17th, 2001 at 11:20:08 PM PST
I got a nine, but I'm pretty sure I could have scored two or less if I'd put even a little effort into skewing the results.

I feel my bar-stool calling to me.


© 2002, RobotSlave. You may not reproduce this material, in whole or in part, without written permission of the owner.

Hmmm... (none / 0) (#14)
by hauntedattics on Tue Dec 18th, 2001 at 06:25:02 AM PST
I scored a 7. Is that barstool next to you taken, Slave?

I got 5 (none / 0) (#16)
by bc on Tue Dec 18th, 2001 at 02:49:26 PM PST
Like the well adjusted young man I am, I think I'll take the stoll to prop up my alchohol wrecked body.

I wonder if the scores go down when you're pissed.


♥, bc.

I scored... (5.00 / 1) (#17)
by nathan on Tue Dec 18th, 2001 at 07:34:56 PM PST
16, but I'm not drunk. I devoutly hope to be so soon, but you can bet I won't waste a good drunk taking some g**k test.

Nathan, a bitter bitter "man"
--
Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

 
Hrm (none / 0) (#7)
by zikzak on Tue Dec 18th, 2001 at 12:14:02 AM PST
Bonus question: How much time did you spend being captivated by strings of numbers in the last paragraph on the page?
"Definitely agree" or "Slightly agree" responses to questions 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 33, 35, 39, 41, 42, 43, 45, 46 score 1 point. "Definitely disagree" or "Slightly disagree" responses to questions 1, 3, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 34, 36, 37, 38, 40, 44, 47, 48, 49, 50 score 1 point.
So what happens if I scored below the average? Is there some inverse clinical condition? Should I be taking medication? Should I avoid computers altogether? How about those funny looking calculators with lots and lots of buttons?

 
Hmm (none / 0) (#10)
by spiralx on Tue Dec 18th, 2001 at 02:38:45 AM PST
I scored 24... not so bad I guess.




 
high score (none / 0) (#6)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Dec 17th, 2001 at 11:55:03 PM PST
i got a 39 and didnt try to skew anything. i was honest.

definitly not good

Hey, me too. (none / 0) (#13)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue Dec 18th, 2001 at 05:13:58 AM PST
I got 39 without trying as well. Bummer.

Dang (none / 0) (#15)
by ana on Tue Dec 18th, 2001 at 11:49:32 AM PST
Only 38. I'm not as eccentric as I thought.
Why not?

 
Even though the implications frighten me... (5.00 / 1) (#9)
by elenchos on Tue Dec 18th, 2001 at 12:58:10 AM PST
...I don't think we should overreact. In fact, I want to come out strongly against placing geeks in concentraion camps. That would be horrific, and the expense would be incredible. The only justification would be if there were no alternative, but there is, and we should use it: radio collars.

You've seen convicts and wild animals wearing these, where it transmits an alarm to the authorites if the detainee leaves his home? That same technology (thanks engineers!) can be put to work preventing the spread of autism through the prevention of geek gathering and especially geek mating.

I predict a coming storm of oppression against the wretched and hopeless geeks, and their evil hacker sub-culture, and I am prepared to take on the mantle of "Friend to Geekdom" through my crusade to stem the tide of oppression.

Radio collars for geeks! Radio collars for ALL GEEKS! NOW!

Are you with me???


I do, I do, I do
--Bikini Kill

Radio collars? For techies? (none / 0) (#12)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue Dec 18th, 2001 at 02:56:18 AM PST
...And you really think they wouldn't spend better part of the days tinkering with them?

Tamperproof isn't.

Tamper-resistant can be, up to certain degree - but for a true geek it doesn't mean more than just another challenge.

I can fool your radio collar with aluminum foil from chocolate, if it's a simple design (I suppose you heard about Faraday cage). Hacks of more complicated designs depend on their architecture and I'd have to see it (or at least to read the patent or docs) before suggesting more.

Elenchos, accept it: If you want to fight geeks, you lose even before you start, and they'll just have fun at your expense.

-- The Mad Scientist




 
Got a score of 10 (none / 0) (#11)
by nobbystyles on Tue Dec 18th, 2001 at 02:38:54 AM PST
But I am a developer how can that be?

...Oh yeah forgot I program in Visual Basic...

 

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