NYTimes Science Times: Asperger’s to become a colloquialism? ; Where old-Earth creationism flourishes ; the story of a cancer that can be fought to a draw ; more…
The Tracker is among the many who, perhaps ten years ago, heard the term Asperger’s Syndrome defined. Immediately and ever since I have been seeing it (thought so anyway) within the family, walking down the street, droning through interviews, and as an explanation for some people’s distinctive fashion sense. It is so useful for pigeon-holing often-productive and occasionally stunningly brilliant people who just seem out of step and sometimes are not at all happy about themselves.
Now, one reads in today’s Science Times, the term is under fire as too broad and too loose to be technically useful. Claudia Wallis tells the tale – and pretty well considering that the topic is how hard to pin down the topic is. For social purposes and quietly whispered shorthand, “autism spectrum disorder” or something called P.D.D.-N.O.S. just don’t fill its spot very well. The story implies that whatever the behavioral science experts decide about their nomenclature, Asperger’s will remain in popular currency. The illus is as ambiguous as the term – it’s art by one with the syndrome, showing how he visualizes numbers.
Other notable Science Times headlines:
- Claudia Dreifus Q&A : A Conversation with Brian J. Druker, J.D. / Researcher Behind the Drug Gleevec ; Read this to feel a bit heartened about cancer and about the good people around us.
- Roni Caryn Rabin: How Posted Calories Affect Food Orders ; Little piece, way inside. Good wake-up call for people who think labeling laws are potent. Maybe a little potent. Maybe. The other day a person in the household here was watching the Bonnie Hunt show. Her guest was a guy who wrote “Eat This, Not That.” Amazing info on comparative calories of food dishes. Wonder if such info changes many people’s orders.
- Kenneth Chang: Creationism, Minus a Young Earth, emerges in the Islamic World ; One guy nearly got mobbed by the audience, it says here, when he started to say people evolved, too.
- Pam Belluck: Giving Sight by Therapy With Genes ;
As usual, lots more and the morning is going fast - whole section ;
- Charlie Petit
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