autism

Today it’s great to chat with Simon Baron-Cohen. Simon is professor of psychology and psychiatry and director of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University. He is the author of six hundred scientific articles and four books, including The Science of Evil and The Essential Difference.

[2:47] Simon’s evolution of thought on autism

[5:19] How the social realm of autism has evolved

[8:12] The difference between autism and psychopathy

[10:26] The role of affective vs cognitive empathy

[12:37] How to navigate autism amidst cancel culture

[14:18] Having autistic traits vs being on the autism spectrum

[17:52] How autism drives human invention

[22:11] The “systemizing mechanism” of the brain

[24:03] The role of “if-and-then patterns” in autistic individuals

[26:41] Simon’s thoughts on language acquisition

[27:48] “The empathy circuit”

[37:28] The role of creativity in autism

[41:19] The Brain Types Study

[42:43] The biological basis of creativity and autism

[45:24] Why monkeys don’t skateboard

[48:12] Why language isn’t a necessary precursor to invention

[55:12] How Scott measured implicit learning and pattern-seeking

[59:28] Why Simon’s work has sparked some pushback

[1:01:04] How to support autistic people

[1:05:45] How we can nurture the inventors of the future

[1:07:18] Sex differences in autism

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It's that time of the year again: Endless Thread is going on a winter break. But don't miss us too much. We'll be back in 2021 with a fresh, new, weird, and wonderful version of the show. Before we say goodbye for now, we check in with some of our favorite guests of episodes past.

Episodes updated include:

Get Motivated: https://www.wbur.org/endlessthread/2019/01/11/get-motivated

Infectious, Pt 1: Scabs, Pus, and Puritans: https://www.wbur.org/endlessthread/2019/05/03/scabs-pus-puritans

Brain Melt: https://www.wbur.org/endlessthread/2018/11/09/brain-melt

Nick, Jess, and David: https://www.wbur.org/endlessthread/2019/12/20/autistic-redditors-explain-autism

Shipwrecked: https://www.wbur.org/endlessthread/2019/06/14/shipwrecked

Dear Anon: https://www.wbur.org/endlessthread/2018/11/16/dear-anon

Guessing is a weird thing. For millennia, it could have meant the difference between life and death. Now it's not as vital, but we still do it every day, whether behind the wheel of a car, or judging what another person might be feeling. In this classic episode, learn everything we know about the brain and how it manages this odd, very human act.

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Cathy Kelley joins us as we talk to someone who feels bad about sleeping with her ex’s friend, a woman whose boyfriend speaks poorly to her, a guy who is not sure he should have broken up with his ex, and an autistic woman struggling with dating.

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What is it that makes us suddenly draw in a deep breath through a wide-open mouth? The beautiful thing about yawning is that researchers really don't know. Whether the answer is physical, mental or even contagious there is pretty much no chance you won't yawn during this classic episode.

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In part two on the Anti-Vaccine Movement, Robert is joined again by Anna Salinas and they discuss corrupt doctor, Andrew Wakefield.

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Liz is joined by bestselling author, Kathy Lette. This lady is one live wire and hilariously discusses her life from men to menopause. To highlight World Autism Awareness Day this week, Kathy also speaks about raising a son with autism. She explains how her son has taught her that “there is no such thing as normal and abnormal, there’s ordinary and extraordinary.” 

You can find the show notes at https://lizearlewellbeing.com/episode-36-conversation-kathy-lette/.

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Empathy can often be confused with sympathy and regular old compassion. But it's not exactly either one of those. Some say a lack of empathy can indicate sociopathic tendencies, but that's not always true either. So what is empathy and what makes someone prone to empathize? Listen in to find out.

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On this episode of the psychology podcast, we gain insight into the fascinating and mysterious psychology of prodigious children. Kimberly Stephens recently co-authored a book investigating the link between autism and extraordinary childhood talent called The Prodigy's Cousin, which had made her an excellent source of knowledge. We discuss the extraordinary working memory, attention to detail, passionate interest, talent development and parenting styles that tend to characterize incredible childhood skill. We also cover an interesting genetic component; research suggests that autism tends to be present in the families of prodigies. The conversation is a celebration of the high achievement, intense interest and quirky personalities expressed by prodigies like Jonathan Russell, who has been known to pass the time recreating music with household items like blenders and washing machines! It’s a fun discussion and we’re excited to share it with our listeners.

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A leading expert in the psychology of savantism for over 40 years and the scientific advisor for the film Rain Man, Darold Treffert is a wellspring of knowledge on this fascinating yet often misunderstood condition. In this episode we cover the brain anatomy of savantism, its causes and some of the incredible abilities of famous savants like Kim Peak, who memorized thousands of books verbatim (down to the page number)! We feel fortunate to have had this chance to learn so much about such an interesting topic from one of the most well respected researchers in the field. Please enjoy and tell us what you think!

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Discover how her autism helped Dr. Temple Grandin revolutionize animal science when she sits down with Neil deGrasse Tyson. Featuring Chuck Nice, Dr. Paul Wang of Autism Speaks, and Paul Shapiro of the Humane Society.