Private universe

There's been a fair bit in the news about autism recently.

I've always been fascinated by this disorder. The MMR vaccine scandal has been interesting to follow as an example of below-par science, and poor understanding by the public of the science. To me, this is just a symptom that science education and mainstream media science reporting needs some vast improvement.

But the main reason is probably that I know so many people on the spectrum. I grew up knowing a family in which all the boys had quite severe autism and have since met others with autism or Asperger syndrome. I always wondered: What sort of place could these boys have in a world where communication is vital? When you "have a different sort of internal thought" that in some cases leaves you completely dependent on your family or other carers for your entire life -- what does it mean? What does it tell us about the human brain? Is it really a disorder, or just another state of being?

From that last article:

With autism diagnoses rising steadily, talk of an "epidemic" and a growing search for a cure, Roy feels threatened. "I feel stabbed when it comes to 'curing' or 'treating' autism," he says. "It's like society doesn't need us."

Many autistic people are starting to agree. They have had enough of being treated as a medical problem, arguing that autism is not a disease that needs to be cured but just a normal part of human diversity. This emerging "autistic rights" movement hopes to launch an international campaign akin to Gay Pride, encouraging autistic people everywhere to embrace their "neurodiversity", and persuading wider society to accept them as they are...

Carina Schmidt's son has autistic disorder and requires round-the-clock attention. His condition is so severe that he required a 10-month stay at the Kennedy Krieger Institute to break some of his self-harming habits. She is adamant about doing everything possible to help her son, who now lives in a group home in Rockville, Maryland. She also supports the development of prenatal tests for autism. "If my son could be cured today I would say 'yes'," she says. "My family has suffered like there is no tomorrow - that's why we choose to have no more kids." ... Schmidt says that she will continue seeking help for her son. And she is sure he wants her to. "I can see my son wants to be normal," she says.

There are no easy answers here. But I think the research being done now is fascinating and exciting. Even if people with autism don't want a cure, this research goes to the heart of what makes us human: our complex, intricate, amazing brains.

Harry Potter and medical ethics

This is just too cute not to post... click the link for the full article.

ABSTRACT

With the restoration of You-Know-Who to full corporeal form, the practice of the dark arts may lead to multitudes being charmed, befuddled and confounded. At present, muggle ethics dictate that aid may be rendered in a life-or limb-threatening situation, but the margins are blurred when neither is at stake. Muggle and wizard healers, fearful of being labelled ambulance chasers, may shy away from approaching those who remain blissfully unaware of their illnesses. We describe 4 case studies in which we intervened as muggle healers, to salutary effect. The afflicted were healed or helped, without bringing the weight of the Ministries of Magic or Magical Healing upon us. We advocate a spirit of cooperation between muggle and magical folk, mindful of the strengths that the healing arts from each community have to offer. As long as the intent is beneficent, healers or even the wizard or muggle on the street may intervene and render aid to the afflicted.

The votes are in...

... and so is stem cell research. Those who know me (and/or read this blog) will know I'd be pleased.

Before the Patterson Bill was passed, I was going to post about how I wonder if the change in Labor leadership will mean anything for science. It may not mean much in terms of votes, but it does give Julia Gillard a bit more attention when she makes her statements as Labor's health spokesperson:

They are saying surplus eggs from IVF processes and I think that is the best place to start. Obviously there may be future issues about donation but I don’t believe we are there yet and we should see if the supply of surplus eggs from IVF processes is sufficient.

I agree with this. Avoiding egg donation directly from women is definitely to be avoided: Woo-Suk Hwang has taught us that. All the ethics committees in the world can't stop subtly coercion of junior, female staff. It's a sad inevitability of humanity. And the risks of egg donation mean that they should only be given freely.

So yes, I'm pleased. In August, I posted about three areas where I think Australia is lagging behind the rest of the developed world. Two out of three of those areas have improved tremendously. Now all we need is a better strategy to slow climate change and we'll be set. Well, not quite, but we're on the right track.

Congrats to Cosmos

Congratulations to Cosmos for winning big (again) at the Bell Awards. They won magazine of the year, editor of the year (Wilson Da Silva), and a few other awards.

I love Cosmos -- there's something special about a glossy magazine, particularly when you feel like it was written just for you. I've been keeping them rather than putting them in the recycling bin (or passing them on) so I've got every issue since the first one.

They're launching a new magazine called G, about sustainable modern living. I'll be scraping some pennies together to subscribe to that, I think.

Sleep deprivation = torture

Since becoming a mother I've become too aware of why sleep deprivation is a form of torture. Night after night of broken sleep really wears you down. The world seems fuzzy. Your brain feels fuzzy. Which is my general excuse for not updating this blog as often as I should.

I was also forewarned that I wouldn't regain all the brain cells that I lost during pregnancy. My mind is definitely much improved, but not back to normal (hmmm, reminds me of the state of my body).

All scientists like a unified theory, so I was pleased to read the article (linked above) from New Scientist. Lack of sleep, it seems, causes memory loss. So once my daughter is sleeping through the night all should be well.

New Scientist likes to add a dissenting voice to the end of its news articles, such as:

However, Tarja Porkka-Heiskanen of the University of Helsinki in Finland says that may be going too far, as the 72 hours of sleep deprivation experienced by the rats is exceptionally long, equivalent to several days in humans. Sleep deprivation can damage memory, but only "in extreme cases", she believes.

Of course, all that proves is that motherhood is an "extreme case".