Robot Pirate Ninja

http://www.newsweek.com/id/216832/page/2

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Here’s where the second debate comes in: if more kids are developing autism-spectrum disorders, what’s causing the increase? As with most illnesses,both genetics and environmental factors almost certainly play a role: As the popular analogy goes, genetics loads the gun and the environment pulls the trigger. Kids may be genetically predisposed to autism, but they won’t develop it unless they’re exposed to outside factors that affect the activity of their faulty genes.

Scientists know something about the genetics of autism. They’ve found genes that are loosely linked to the disorder on practically every chromosome. But they know less about environmental factors, which could include heavy metals, pesticides, flame retardants, or many other culprits. A vocal minority of advocates, of course, is also concerned about vaccinations, although there’s no solid evidence that vaccines are linked to autism. “More than ever, environmental factors are being recognized as important,” says Cathy Rice, a CDC researcher who led the agency’s new study. “But our research tools just are not as good for understanding them.”

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This article completley fails to mention the hypothesis from my previous post. Please note that said hypothesis (I.e the rise in autism is explained largely by a rise in mother’s age at conception) very easily explains a disorder marked by “genes that are loosely linked to the disorder on practically every chromosome.”

If it’s something that is marked by generalized gene disorder, and we already know genes in eggs break down the longer they are left on the shelf, as it were, then there’s enough there to do a serious study about te correlation.

The article mentions how adovcacy groups are calling for more funding on research, but if this is the best explanation, they ain’t going to like it (and it’s cheap).