Ryan Rykaczewski describes one of the most massive migrations on the planet, driven by the sun. Image by Tintinnidguy (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons 

#ExplainTheSun  - The Largest Migration on The Planet


In his new book, NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity, science writer Steve Silberman delves into the forgotten history of autism, and documents how politics and self-promoting scientists have altered our understanding of the condition over the years. 
 
One of the most remarkable figures in the book is Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger, whose pioneering ideas about autism were long neglected. Asperger thought of autism as a widespread condition, diverse in its manifestation, and mostly hereditary. Yet for years, Silberman writes, those concepts were buried by scientists like Leo Kanner, who favored a more narrow definition of autism, and others who wished to institutionalize or "cure" autistic children, with sometimes brutal tactics such as shocks from a cattle prod.

Silberman closes the book by arguing that more attention and money should be directed toward building a more comfortable world for people on the autistic spectrum, rather than focusing solely on an elusive cure. 

The Forgotten History of Autism

Once, there was the ordinary incandescent light bulb. It shone brightly, but wasted much of the energy put into it as heat. Then came the compact fluorescent. And as costs have dropped, consumers have increasingly been switching to light-emitting diode (LED) technology for many lighting applications, in an ongoing search for a more efficient bulb. Now, in work published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, researchers report that nanophotonic devices may be able to breathe new life into old incandescent technology. Marin Soljačić and Ognjen Ilic, two authors of the study, explain how they’ve been able to “recycle” some of the incandescent bulb’s wasted heat and re-emit it as visible light, boosting efficiency.

For the Lowly Incandescent Bulb, a Ray of Hope

Science, technology, and other cool stuff from public radio's Science Friday. It's brain fun, for curious people. From WNYC Studios.

The Forgotten History of Autism

SciFri

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