On:

New research shows that autism may be linked to male hormones circulating in the developing fetus, and babies who produce high levels of testosterone are more likely to be autistic. It’s an affliction that mostly shows up in males. This has led to the theory that autism is an exaggerated form of the way ordinary men think and behave. Researcher Simon Baron-Cohen says, “What I am doing is testing this idea that autism might be an extreme of the male brain.” Baron-Cohen tested amniotic fluid taken from 70 pregnant women during amniocentesis for testosterone levels. When the children were born, he found that “Those who had a high level of testosterone also found it more difficult to fit into new social groups.” While they were not actually autistic, they did have more autism-like traits.read more

On:

Some scientists think they can make Mars into a livable planet again by tinkering with its atmosphere. “Terraforming has long been a fictional topic,” says NASA’s Michael Meyer. “Now, with real scientists exploring the reality, we can ask what are the real possibilities, as well as the potential ramifications, of transforming Mars.” But they’ll have to watch out for the electrified dust devils.

6903,1179587,00.html,Robin McKie writes in The Observer that researchers who want to terraform Mars point to the fact that traces of methane have been found in the Martian atmosphere. This is a result of decaying life forms, meaning Mars was once hospitable to life and could be again.
read more

On:

As part of our new Communion Letters, we present a letter from “Greg,” who says: After really, really careful consideration, I’ve decided to write you. Recently, I read your book “The Communion Letters” three times. Though I have no recollections of abductions, the letters in that book have been eating at me for months.

Then I had realization: I’ve seen the beings you call the “visitors” in dreams. Thus my uncomfortable sense of recognition when I read “Letters.” And now I ask myself, was it really a dream
read more

On:

Why are some people so much smarter than the rest of us? One reason may be that they’ve learned how to use both sides of their brain at the same time. Scientists know that the left side of the brain is the problem-solving side, while the right side is more imaginative. But if you’re one of those rare people who can combine them, you can harness incredible brain power.

A recent study of teenagers who are above-average math students found that the right and left halves of their brains are better able to work together than the brains of average students. Psychologist Michael O’Boyle says, “Giftedness in math, music or art may be the by-product of a brain that has functionally organized itself in a different way.”
read more