BS 181 Sir Simon Baron-Cohen

Brain Science with Ginger Campbell, MD: Neuroscience for Everyone

Ginger Campbell, MD

Medicine, Health & Fitness, Life Sciences, Science

4.8 • 896 Ratings

🗓️ 26 February 2021

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This month's episode of Brain Science features Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, one of the world's leading researchers on the neuroscience of autism. We discuss his latest book "The Pattern Seekers: How Autism Drives Human Invention." This book reminds us that many different kinds of science can enrich our lives and our understanding of what it means to be human.

Sir Baron-Cohen explores the overlap between the human ability to invent and experiment and the condition that is currently called autism. Autism is often seen as a deficit in social cognition or empathy, but Baron-Cohen shows convincingly that there is a significant overlap between autism and what he calls extreme systemizing. Because systemizing or pattern recognition drives the human ability to constantly invent new technologies, it appears to compliment social skills such as empathy.

Sir Baron-Cohen share the evidence that people tend to be stronger in one area or the other. Most importantly, he emphasizes that autism is not necessarily a disabling condition because those with extremely strong pattern recognition skills can make many valuable contributions.

Links and References:

The Pattern Seekers: How Autism Drives Human Invention by Simon Baron-Cohen
Greenberg DM, Warrier V, Allison C, Baron-Cohen S. Testing the Empathizing-Systemizing theory of sex differences and the Extreme Male Brain theory of autism in half a million people. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 Nov 27;115(48):12152-12157. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1811032115. Epub 2018 Nov 12. PMID: 30420503; PMCID: PMC6275492.
Sir Simon Baron-Cohen, PhD. University of Cambridge (UK)
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Transcript

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0:00.0	We owe a debt of gratitude to autistic people because their genome, their genetic makeup overlaps with the genetic makeup of people who have been inventing for the last 70 to 100,000 years.
0:17.6	Human progress wouldn't have achieved what it has without autistic people.
0:22.6	Welcome to brain science, the podcast where we explore how discoveries in
0:30.4	neuroscience are helping unravel the mystery of how our brain makes us human.
0:35.7	I'm your host Dr. Ginger Campbell and this is episode 180.
0:40.8	If you're curious about how your brain really works, this is the podcast for you.
0:46.0	This month's episode is an interview with Simon Baron Cohen about his new book, The Pattern Seekers, How autism Drives Human Invention.
0:57.0	I want to say up front, this is not an episode about autism.
1:01.8	It is a discussion of two key human abilities, empathy and invention.
1:07.0	Baron Cohen has explored these abilities from a unique perspective that I'm eager to share with you.
1:14.0	Before we jump into the interview, I want to remind you that you can get complete show notes
1:19.2	and episode transcripts at brainscience podcast.com.
1:23.0	Brain science is produced independently and relies on the financial
1:28.0	support of listeners like you. To learn more please visit brain science podcast.com
1:33.8	forward slash donations.
1:35.6	Please feel free to send me feedback at brain science
1:39.0	podcast at gmail.com
1:41.3	or post to the brain Science Podcast fan page on Facebook.
1:46.0	If you'd like to get show notes automatically every month, sign up for a free newsletter.
1:51.0	You can do this on the website or text brain science to 5544.
1:59.9	Brain Science all one word to 5544. I'll be back after the interview to review the key ideas
2:08.2	and to share a few brief announcements.
	...

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