Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

With the recent outbreak of measles in California (and spreading elsewhere), we are seeing a lot of new coverage of vaccine related questions. We are also seeing a number of vaccine antagonistic individuals and groups showing that they are, well, antagonistic towards vaccines. There is no surprise that much of the antagonism towards vaccines is…

A team of researchers, including experts from Northwestern University, has made a significant discovery about how our brains develop. They found out that a certain genetic factor can cause our brain to make fewer connections at a very important time when our brain is growing. This discovery is crucial because these connections, known as synapses,…

Researchers in the RIKEN Center for Brain Science (CBS) examined the genetics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by analyzing mutations in the genomes of individuals and their families. They discovered that a special kind of genetic mutation works differently from typical mutations in how it contributes to the condition. In essence, because of the three-dimensional…

Cognoa, maker of the first FDA-approved autism diagnostic tool, announced Highmark has signed on as its first commercial payer partner. The tool, Canvas Dx, will now be reimbursed for commercial Highmark members. It aims to enable earlier and more equitable access to diagnosis for children and families without specialists. The tool leverages AI to empower…

SciCheck Digest COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy benefits both mother and baby. Side effects are generally mild, and studies don’t show negative effects on the baby. A criticized study that gave COVID-19 vaccines to pregnant rats doesn’t show that vaccines cause autism or that people shouldn’t get COVID-19 vaccines, contrary to claims. Full Story COVID-19 vaccination…

The Department of Justice (DoJ), using U.S. taxpayer dollars collected by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), is spearheading the FBI’s targeted recruitment campaign, which entrapped a young autistic man named Humzah Mashkoor in a fake terror plot involving ISIS and the Middle East. When Mashkoor was just 16 years old, he had been talking online…

A recent brief report published in JAMA Psychiatry sheds light on a concerning association: children born in more disadvantaged neighborhoods face an increased likelihood of being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Researchers at the University of Southern California’s Spatial Sciences Institute analyzed a dataset from Kaiser Permanente Southern California, covering births from 2001…

On Saturday, November 20, 2023, an innocent 14-year-old Illinois boy with autism named Avarius Thompson was tased by Dolton Police in what was reportedly a case of mistaken identity. An incident report revealed that the cops were on the lookout for four black males (two armed) involved in a stolen car crash when they stumbled…

Written by Smita Srivastava The process of toilet training the kids with autism can be both challenging and emotionally draining. The parent may need tons of patience and understanding to make it happen. However, the good part is that most autistic kids can get toilet trained with consistent routines and verbal praise from the caregiver.…