<![CDATA[Manipulating a Single Protein in Your Brain Creates "Autistic Savants" - io9 Comments]]> <![CDATA[Manipulating a Single Protein in Your Brain Creates "Autistic Savants" - io9 Comments]]> <![CDATA[Manipulating a Single Protein in Your Brain Creates "Autistic Savants"]]> - Capt. Mensa: "all we need is to open this packet of salt, put in the cracks in the rock and pour on this conveniently placed bucket of water to make the salt expand so the rock breaks up, then escape and save the day! Now if only I could open this pack..."

- "Rip it here"

- "The shape would suggest that opening the top would be the easiest..."

- "Rip it here!"

- "Would you mind? I'm trying to figure out how to open this containing device and I don't need distractions!"

- "RIP IT HERE!!!"

(takes packet and rips it open at the designated spot)

- "Ah right... Er... Well done, Boy Ponder, how did you know how to open this container that, through mildly ingeneous science, will allow us to save the day and disable the doomsday device of Sudoku Sid?"

- "It said so on the back..."

(Both escape and save the day by solving a huge monster sudoku in under three seconds thereby defeating the evil Sudoku Sid)

str88f

]]> <![CDATA[Manipulating a Single Protein in Your Brain Creates "Autistic Savants"]]> @Ghede...Yup, I'm thinking mentat all the way.

Counterglow

]]> <![CDATA[Manipulating a Single Protein in Your Brain Creates "Autistic Savants"]]> The spice is life!

Honestly, that is the first thing that came to mind.

Ghede

]]> <![CDATA[Manipulating a Single Protein in Your Brain Creates "Autistic Savants"]]> "Nürnberger-Trichter Syndrome" ahoi!

Klappstuhl

]]> <![CDATA[Manipulating a Single Protein in Your Brain Creates "Autistic Savants"]]> @Annalee Newitz: He/she will need a sidekick I propose:

Captain MENSA
a) ...and lil' smartypants (if you want to go the cutsey scrappy doo route)
b) ...and the data entry club (if you want to give em' a team)
c) ...and the Great wiseass know-it-all (older mentor-type)
d) ...and the Asia Carrera (MENSA member)





Epaminondas

]]> <![CDATA[Manipulating a Single Protein in Your Brain Creates "Autistic Savants"]]> @Annalee Newitz: Share?!?

NefariousNewt

]]> <![CDATA[Manipulating a Single Protein in Your Brain Creates "Autistic Savants"]]> @NefariousNewt: Dude, I am now composing the theme song for "Captain Mensa."

Annalee Newitz

]]> <![CDATA[Manipulating a Single Protein in Your Brain Creates "Autistic Savants"]]> @str88f: No -- different genes and proteins. What we think of as autism is actually a spectrum of disorders which cause similar symptoms. So this study is looking at a different disorder, which is caused by different brain chemistry.

Annalee Newitz

]]> <![CDATA[Manipulating a Single Protein in Your Brain Creates "Autistic Savants"]]> er... does this tie in with this story?

str88f

]]> <![CDATA[Manipulating a Single Protein in Your Brain Creates "Autistic Savants"]]> Woo! I can finally live out years of fantasy and be Ender. Just...way too late in life...

mitchel_stevens

]]> <![CDATA[Manipulating a Single Protein in Your Brain Creates "Autistic Savants"]]> I'm hoping they take the "curing autism" angle more seriously than the "creating super-intelligent people" one. The last thing we need is the government getting their hands on it and trying to create Captain Mensa.

NefariousNewt

]]> <![CDATA[Manipulating a Single Protein in Your Brain Creates "Autistic Savants"]]> Listen, snobbypants -- I don't care how you do things "across the pond," but this is America and we just call them "artistic."

moff

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