An article on the BBC World site discusses the increase in autism in the Silicon Valley area, where it's estimated that as many as 1 in 150 new babies have some form of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). The article goes on to note that autism has always been more common in people with strong analytical skills and correspondingly weak social skills--in other words, geeks. It would be interesting if it turned out that much of the behavorial traits associated with we of the geek persuasion were not in fact due to sci-fi books, video games, or all-nighters, but in fact were themselves a product of a genetic disposition towards ASD.
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