Ann Griswold
Science writer
From this contributor
Sex and other foreign words
People with autism fall in love. They marry. They even (gasp) have sex. Yet these deeply human needs have mostly gone ignored by scientists.
Many people with harmful genetic variants show no ill effects
Most adults with genetic variants tied to certain conditions, such as heart disease or cancer, go undiagnosed.
Many people with harmful genetic variants show no ill effects
This is a story of autism in small-town America
Rural living can be wonderful: community, friendly faces, a slower pace of life. But when there’s autism in the family, it can be tough.
This is a story of autism in small-town America
Autism, fragile X follow different developmental paths
Children with autism show an increase in restricted interests in their preteen years that is not seen in those with fragile X syndrome.
Autism, fragile X follow different developmental paths
Autism gene may double as pain processor
SHANK3, a leading candidate gene for autism, helps sensory neurons in mice respond to pain.
Explore more from The Transmitter
Brain registers spatial location outside hippocampus
A more complex picture of how an animal’s brain tracks its location is starting to emerge.
Brain registers spatial location outside hippocampus
A more complex picture of how an animal’s brain tracks its location is starting to emerge.
The three-banded panther worm is rewriting the story of brain evolution
The animal has a brain structure all its own, according to a 2026 preprint. The finding hints that brains could have evolved centralization before regionalization.
The three-banded panther worm is rewriting the story of brain evolution
The animal has a brain structure all its own, according to a 2026 preprint. The finding hints that brains could have evolved centralization before regionalization.
Does cognition happen in brain areas or between them?
Michael Cole explains how "brain flows" are the fundamental units of brain function and cognition.
Does cognition happen in brain areas or between them?
Michael Cole explains how "brain flows" are the fundamental units of brain function and cognition.