From: hal@finney.org
Date: Sun Oct 24 1999 - 19:56:19 MDT
Phil Osborn, <philosborn@hotmail.com>, writes:
> >>Anyway, in a recent edition of the local paper there was a report on a
> >>particular syndrome that has been identified as genetically based.
> >
> >>The typical behavioral symptoms are things like inability to respond
> >>appropriately
> >in social settings, misinterpreting social signals completely,
> >>failure to abide by social norms of dress and grooming, often accompanied
> >>by strange physical gait or tics. They noted that many such people are
> >>highly intelligent and productive and that a high percentage of the
> >>afflicted are in fact considered top computer programmers - so-called
> >>"super-programmers", who can work at blinding speed for long intense
> >>stretches of total concentration, but are useless in social settings.
Clint O'Dell, <clintodell@hotmail.com>, responds:
> >Sounds like some reporter just made this up. How many people are effected
> >aparently? And where are the records?
I believe Phil is describing Asperger's Syndrome, an autism-like
develomental disorder which displays many aspects of the popular
sterotype of "nerdish" behavior. You can find more information at
http://www.asperger.org.
However I could not find any references indicating that a genetic basis
had been found for this problem.
Hal
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