Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

We’ve all been to a friend’s wedding and wondered, “Will that bride/groom walking down the aisle ever be me?” But how many of us have wondered, “Has it still not happened for me even in my 30s because the way I am, and the problems I have, make it impossible for me to find someone?”…

Clarified consensus: Microbes that belong to the Prevotella genus are among those that make up the autism-linked microbiome signature. KATERYNA KON / Science Source Despite a decade of inconsistent findings, the microbiomes of autistic and non-autistic children do differ, according to a recent meta-analysis of 10 studies and 15 large datasets. “It’s not diagnostic just…

On this week’s episode of the Autism Dad Podcast, join us as we dive into an honest and emotional conversation with Alicia Golichowski, a single mom navigating the challenges of raising an autistic child. Alicia’s raw transparency offers comfort to those in similar situations, reminding them they’re not alone. Sharing these stories is crucial to…

Hardly any adults with autism are receiving supports to help them find or keep a job, new research shows, and even among the few who do, the services are often far too short-term. Some 1.98 million working-age individuals on the spectrum — or almost 99% — accessed no employment supports through Medicaid or vocational rehabilitation…

Autism Diagnosis Accuracy – Visualization Redesign ​ Kaiser at Junk Charts has posted an interesting challenge based on the question how to visualize an Autism diagnosis dataset in a better way (originally posted by Igor Carron at Nuit Blanche). I’m offering my own redesign of the data below, and discuss my different approach and what…

Autism Treatment in Las Vegas: ABA Therapy and Beyond The marvel of the human brain, in its vast complexity, can sometimes translate to neurodiverse conditions like autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Fortunately, the accelerating pace of scientific research has paved the way for an array of treatment strategies that are providing renewed optimism for those affected…

This story first appeared in The Outsider, the premium outdoor newsletter by Jason Blevins. In it, he covers the industry from the inside out, plus the fun side of being outdoors in our beautiful state. SUBSCRIBE The hundreds of mountains Bill Shea has climbed with his son are not just a way to burn off…

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Department of Education (DOE) Chancellor David C. Banks, and New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Edward Caban. Today announced a new partnership between the DOE and the Police Academy aimed at working with young people with autism and other developmental disabilities. Experts from the DOE’s Special Education…

Never underestimate how well a more severely autistic adult can take instructions in strength training. Young autistic men should not look like Homer Simpson. I have the so-called high functioning autism. To put another way, it’s Level 1 or minimal support needs. Being a spectrum disorder, though, autism presents amazingly differently from one individual to…

Father figures: About 77 percent of the heritability of social function in rhesus macaques comes from fathers. Wirestock Creators / Adobe Stock In rhesus monkeys, social activity in males appears more strongly linked to a father’s genes than a mother’s, a new study suggests. The findings may reveal clues to sex differences in the heredity…