This article is more than five years old.
Neuroscience—and science in general—is constantly evolving, so older articles may contain information or theories that have been reevaluated since their original publication date.
ILLUSTRATION BY LAURÈNE BOGLIO
ILLUSTRATION BY LAURÈNE BOGLIO
“I’m trying to quantify awkward.”
Ruth Grossman, Emerson College, summing up her research on social communication in children with autism.
“When you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”
Mark Bear, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, on what he says is an overhyping of the mTOR pathway’s role in fragile X syndrome.
“To ban a potentially lifesaving medication for women of childbearing age is equivalent to saying that her potential unborn child is more important than she is.”
Jacqueline French, New York University, responding to a partial ban in Europe on the epilepsy drug valproate’s use in pregnant women.
“It certainly doesn’t win you friends.”
Peter Kind, University of Edinburgh, on his research into pseudoreplication, a form of statistical error that he has shown is surprisingly widespread.
“Asperger [syndrome] was put in a coffin with the DSM-5, and maybe this information will be the final nail in terms of preventing it from coming back.”
David Mandell, responding to new evidence linking Hans Asperger to the Nazi regime.
“The notion that people with autism are just wrong about themselves all the time struck me as implausible.”
Matthew Lerner, Stony Brook University, on the importance of self-assessments in autism research.
“I’m happy that I don’t have to pay for a 900-pound safe and figure out where to put it, because that was seriously an issue [before].”
Francisco Castellanos, New York University, after the much-awaited legalization of a marijuana-derived epilepsy drug.
“I scored this nose-to-butt sniffing for 10 years, but do I really understand [it]?”
Mu Yang, Columbia University, questioning whether researchers really know which mouse behaviors constitute a social act.
“I wish more people would cancel meetings with me.”
Nicola Grissom, University of Minnesota, revealing her secret to productivity.
Recommended reading
Autism prevalence increasing in children, adults, according to electronic medical records
By
Shaena Montanari
21 November 2024 | 2 min read
Executive function; screen time; Rett syndrome therapy
By
Jill Adams
19 November 2024 | 1 min read
Newfound gene network controls long-range connections between emotional, cognitive brain areas
By
Charles Q. Choi
14 November 2024 | 4 min read
Explore more from The Transmitter
Neuroscientists reeling from past cuts advocate for more BRAIN Initiative funding
By
Angie Voyles Askham
22 November 2024 | 5 min read
‘Huge influx’ of neuroscientists migrates to Bluesky
By
Calli McMurray
21 November 2024 | 5 min read
Immune cell interlopers breach—and repair—brain barrier in mice
By
Claudia López Lloreda
20 November 2024 | 6 min listen
Cite this article: