General Discussion

paleotn

(21,013 posts)

9. Agreed. That's the thing about genes. They're not static.

Sat Oct 11, 2025, 06:18 PM

Saturday

Novel mutations are happening all the time. The engine of evolution. Autism may not be a step forward for humans, but there is a genetic component so it is a step. A set of interesting mutations. Where it leads, who knows? Perhaps it does give some humans a competitive leg up. Maybe not. Perhaps a road that leads nowhere. There's been billions of those.

As for Junior, he's got the grifter mutation. And some serious machinery damage from that brain worm.

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AZJonnie

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Highlight:

Could Autism Be an Evolutionary Step Forward? [View all] Quixote1818 Saturday OP

I didn't know that about patterns. murielm99 Saturday #1

To offer a counter example thomski64 Saturday #2

Yes, he came to mind. It may not always be positive but there are plenty of traditionally thinking people who are Quixote1818 Saturday #3

Trump is an "NT" paleotn Saturday #6

Eloon's brain is mush Alice Kramden Saturday #28

I believe it's probably a genetic mutation (in the scientifically neutral sense) that exhibits naturally AZJonnie Saturday #4

Agreed. That's the thing about genes. They're not static. paleotn Saturday #9

Yup, and there's not just mutations, there are also gene expressions AZJonnie Saturday #12

I like your train of thought. erronis Saturday #32

Good ol epigenetics nt mr715 Yesterday #42

Humanity did not start with humans. cachukis Saturday #16

Very much true!!! AZJonnie Saturday #22

The thinkers know. cachukis Saturday #24

My Son The Astronomer is on the spectrum. PoindexterOglethorpe Saturday #5

Thanks for sharing, my grandson has Tree Lady Saturday #36

That's not how evolution works SamuelTheThird Saturday #7

You're right, classical evolutionary theory does focus on traits that improve individual reproductive success. However Quixote1818 Saturday #10

They implied there was a sudden increase in autism due to technology SamuelTheThird Saturday #20

It has showed up. Regardless. cachukis Saturday #17

But not as an adaption to extremely new technologies SamuelTheThird Saturday #21

Too early to judge in my mind. cachukis Saturday #23

Either an individual benefit trait or a community survival component. haele Saturday #34

Reed College, Portland OR; PoindexterOglethorpe Yesterday #38

No. People who are on the spectrum are still Homo sapiens. sakabatou Saturday #8

You sure about that? paleotn Saturday #11

"Yet we could still interbreed" sakabatou Saturday #14

Severe autism is pretty awful. milestogo Saturday #13

Mild to Moderate is no picnic either. Rhiagel Saturday #33

Civilization is where it is now because of people who "cover their ears and stim". meadowlander Yesterday #40

Oh, hell no. hunter Saturday #15

This is hyperbolic and unhelpful. meadowlander Yesterday #41

Autism is not some delightful "quirk." Often it's painful. hunter 23 hrs ago #45

Astrid. French with subtitles. Great study of the subject. cachukis Saturday #18

I believe it is. Faux pas Saturday #19

It's not ESP, it's pattern recognition... hunter Saturday #27

Actually, it is ESP. Check out The Telepathy Tapes for more info. TheRickles Saturday #29

I've had paranormal experiences. I've had telepathic experiences. hunter 19 hrs ago #48

Both can be true. Sometimes it's this, and sometimes it's that. TheRickles 6 hrs ago #49

There are some genuinely terrible autistic people biocube Saturday #25

We seem to be evolving towards extinction Bmoboy Saturday #26

❤️ littlemissmartypants Saturday #30

Thank you Wild blueberry Saturday #31

I'm no expert, but... Morbius Saturday #35

Stop the testing! JoseBalow 20 hrs ago #47

ASD has a bimodal IQ distribution Mosby Saturday #37

ASD can be comorbid with intellectual disability, epilepsy, etc. meadowlander Yesterday #43

Autism is within the range of normal human variation and has always been with us. meadowlander Yesterday #39

I live with my nephew who has severe autism. Iggo 23 hrs ago #44

I don't know if autism is genetic edhopper 22 hrs ago #46

I just got goose bumps Karma13612 6 hrs ago #50

It's genetic capacity with environmental triggers bucolic_frolic 6 hrs ago #51

Discussion is missing the obvious. For it to be evolutionary, there have to be children Bernardo de La Paz 5 hrs ago #52

Evolution is "adaption", not necessarily improvement. RoeVWade 5 hrs ago #53