[ExI] How to build a happier brain

[Anders Sandberg]

On 2013-10-31 12:15, KPJ wrote:
> Wed, 30 Oct 2013 16:35:58 +0000, Anders Sandberg <anders at aleph.se> 
> scripsit:
> |OCD is great for science, as long as it is not extreme enough to prevent
> |you from finishing. Just like Aspergers the right pinch of
> |non-neurotypicalness can be very useful in the right context.
>
> Explain.

Yes.

The classic example is how the systematizing approach of autism works 
well with programming - it is a domain where the approach works well, 
and traditionally at least, programmers did not have to interact much 
socially with co-workers. But I suspect it is great for plenty of other 
domains, whether it is taxonomy or mathematics.

The detail orientedness of some people on the spectrum works well with 
many reductionistic domains, since it makes people try to understand 
parts and underlying principles of sameness:
http://www.ucp.pt/site/resources/documents/ics/gnc/artigosgnc/anamariaabreu/d_hafr06.pdf

And autism is overrepresented among *professional* scientists:
http://docs.autismresearchcentre.com/papers/2001_BCetal_AQ.pdf
 From the abstract:
> ... Four groups of subjects were assessed: Group 1: 58 adults with 
> Asperger syndrome (AS) or high-functioning autism (HFA); Group 2: 174 
> randomly selected controls. Group 3: 840 students in Cambridge 
> University; and Group 4: 16 winners of the UK Mathematics Olympiad. 
> The adults with AS/HFA had a mean AQ score of 35.8 (SD = 6.5), 
> significantly higher than Group 2 controls (M = 16.4, SD = 6.3). 80% 
> of the adults with AS/HFA scored 32+, versus 2% of controls. ... The 
> students in Cambridge University did not differ from the randomly 
> selected control group, but scientists (including mathematicians) 
> scored significantly higher than both humanities and social sciences 
> students, confirming an earlier study that autistic conditions are 
> associated with scientific skills. Within the sciences, mathematicians 
> scored highest. This was replicated in Group 4, the Mathematics 
> Olympiad winners scoring significantly higher than the male Cambridge 
> humanities students. 6% of the student sample scored 327plus; on the 
> AQ. On interview, 11 out of 11 of these met three or more DSM-IV 
> criteria for AS/HFA, and all were studying sciences/mathematics, and 7 
> of the 11 met threshold on these criteria. ...

See also http://docs.autismresearchcentre.com/papers/2007_BC_etal_maths.pdf

I doubt you become autistic from doing science (besides learning how to 
fit in), but people with an autistic mode likely have better chances of 
success in the domain.


-- 
Dr Anders Sandberg
Future of Humanity Institute
Oxford Martin School
Oxford University

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