Is the rise in autism a sign of a human evolutionary process?

[Mary Terry]

Human brains evolved to socialize. Socialization increases security on all levels.

 

[Judge]

Human brains evolved to socialize. Socialization increases security on all levels.

Agreed.

However ironically the first thing that comes to my mind is the saying, "Keep your friends close. Keep your enemies closer".

 

[Hypnalis]

Humans are far from the only social animal.

We do have at least one unique characteristic related to socialization of course - possibly two.
But opposable thumbs; persistence hunting; and superior analysis, prediction, and planning are probably also relevant.

AFAIK the cause and effect sequence for the two major leaps in hominin brain size aren't known yet.

BTW I'm aware of the potentially interesting XX/XY split with this kind of discussion. But it doesn't matter in the long run. Modern genetics and our ever improving ability to see and figure out how the body works will resolve this fairly soon.
I haven't read this yet, but it looks interesting.
Evolution of the brain - Wikipedia

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Agreed.

However ironically the first thing that comes to my mind is the saying, "Keep your friends close. Keep your enemies closer".

True. It does seem ironic... but a good "safety and security" strategy for "being aware" of your enemy's thoughts and movements. In this context, not something that causes feelings of "being safe", but rather a sense of "heightened awareness".

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

If autism did not exist we would not have the general theory of relativity, and lots of mathematical breakthroughs .

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Noticed some thing strange this morning belong to a site we us for our social life They have a blocking feature which become a topic of conversation this morning I have never blocked any one some people were blocked by error by others. admistated check list reverse block being part of conversation asked if list only exists if you actually block somebody. She came back it's at bottom of lobby page I scanned the bottom for the life of me could not find it. asked wife if she could find it on main desk top computer she found it bottom left on page wrote back to admin bottom left is not bottom. No wonder NT's cannot make hundred page control plans. accurate. They need us with all our unusual skills. Even NT's have issues my wife cannot estimate time, distance, quantity. probably 2 sigma from mean. Our stuff is 3 sigma minimum many are 4 and a few 5. or more. Suspect my ability to visualize is 5 Einstein same ability 6 sigma or even 7.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

If autism did not exist we would not have the general theory of relativity, and lots of mathematical breakthroughs .

"Those who are the best... do it different than the rest." It also takes a higher level of focus... and intellect... and maybe even a little savant-like consciousness. It is difficult to say which of the many great minds were actually autistic or not, but certainly the written accounts of several individuals may suggest this type of neurodivergence.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Einstein was not as intellectually gifted as his peers, why he ended up working in a patent office. I share his gift he had 160 IQ I'm lucky if 130. Why it is not the whole story. but like money it sure helps.