Comments on: The Daily Mail is the Daily Mail, again

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:54:49 +0000

The increase in Autism rates is probably caused by the increase in chemicals used in society. There is overwhelming proof that hormone levels in lower animals is increasing at alarming rates due to the leeching of chemicals into the environment. It is very logical to conclude that the same is happening to higher animals. So, yes, increasing testosterone levels may be the cause of increased Autism. But the cause of increased testosterone is most likely increased chemical pollution. Although, I admit there DO seem to be many more â€œmale brainedâ€ females in society today than there were 25 years ago, as well as increasing lesbianism (just my observation). It is uncertain if that is a result of feminist evolution or increasing chemical pollution. There is more than one possibility.

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By: stella del mare

stella del mare — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 05:07:17 +0000

Hmmm, maybe the real point of Baron Cohen’s findings is that women shouldn’t have children with second- and third-generation engineers. Isn’t that as plausible as blaming it on the women with “male brains” as the article seems to?

By: mythago

mythago — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 19:02:15 +0000

I’m voting for the ass-pulling theory. It’s just one more of a long line of crackpot theories, because you don’t get column inches by saying “Geez, we don’t really know.”

Cohen is no lightweight. However, he definitely has an agenda on proving male/female differences, and apparently sees research on autism through that lens.

Considering that this whole “male traits” thing crippled knowledge about autism symptoms in girls for years, I don’t have a lot of patience for the Daily Mail’s crap.

By: Stentor

Stentor — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 18:18:08 +0000

Even if the Mail/Cohen theory is true, I find it hard to believe that “assortive mating” would cause *so much* of an increase in autism risk as to outweigh all the other factors in choosing a partner.

By: Hugo Schwyzer

Hugo Schwyzer — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 17:54:00 +0000

Well, that’s comforting, Sam. My wife is an ESTP, and I am ENFP, and that both keeps things interesting and means that we have very different gifts. If it reduces the autism chance, so much the better.

By: SamChevre

SamChevre — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 17:23:05 +0000

I’ve heard this theory (and found it plausible)–but it’s NOT about assertiveness, it’s about pattern-recognition.

The theory is the if people who are good at abstract patterns marry (high-N people in the Myers-Briggs test), their children are more likely to be autistic.

Reason I think this might be reasonable? At least half of the people in my profession will show up as “mildly autistic” on a standard screening test.

By: Hugo Schwyzer

Hugo Schwyzer — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 16:59:41 +0000

Well, if this is true, then let’s have Amy’s solution! Love it!

By: jt

jt — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 16:57:14 +0000

By that reason, autism rates should primarily have risen within higher-income families. But the rises have been across the board with respect to income and social class.

I wonder whether a scientist actually said something remotely similar to that and it was misinterpreted by the journalist, or whether the journalist merely pulled it out of his ass.

By: John Doe

John Doe — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 16:51:02 +0000

Actually, the Daily Mail article is probably alluding to the theory of Simon Baron Cohen (cousin of Sacha, the actor who plays Borat, for what that’s worth). Baron Cohen is Director of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University, however, so he’s no lightweight. Here’s one of many interviews/articles where he discusses his theory that autism may be caused by “assortative mating.” http://edge.org/3rd_culture/baron-cohen05/baron-cohen05_index.html
So there’s probably more to this theory than you might originally have thought.