Eye contact

Recent articles

A child uses a tablet device

New tablet-based tools to spot autism draw excitement — and questions

Handheld devices promise to bring autism detection home, but many researchers urge caution.

By Charles Q. Choi
4 January 2024 | 8 min read
Illustration of hybrid objects: part light bulb, part lab vial, some in blue and some in red to signify null and replicated results.

Null and Noteworthy: Busting biomarkers; going after GABA; reproducibility illusion

In this edition of Null and Noteworthy, scientists find little to be excited about in research on biomarkers for neurodevelopmental conditions.

By Laura Dattaro
16 February 2023 | 4 min read
A group of rectangles placed against a colorful background contains diverse colors and patterns.

Broadening the autism spectrum: Q&A with Oluwatobi Abubakare

Too often, people outside the margins of what’s considered classic autism are left out of research agendas, Abubakare says.

By Rachel Zamzow
20 September 2022 | 8 min read
Illustration shows a woman whose mouth is covered by a cloud and whos eyes are covered by a cloud.

Double empathy, explained

The double empathy theory challenges the idea that social difficulties are specific to autism and suggests that problems arise from a mismatch in perspective between autistic and non-autistic people.

By Rachel Zamzow
22 July 2021 | 8 min read
Illustration of hybrid objects: part light bulb, part lab vial, some in blue and some in red to signify null and replicated results

Null and Noteworthy: Brain folds, flickering faces, wearable eye trackers

Welcome to the Null and Noteworthy newsletter, a roundup of papers that do the vital work of reproducing a previous result or reporting the absence of one.

By Laura Dattaro
25 March 2021 | 5 min read
Child with clinician, making eye contact

Algorithm ‘sees’ when people’s eyes meet

A new machine-learning tool detects eye contact during recorded face-to-face interactions as accurately as expert observers can.

By Chloe Williams
25 February 2021 | 3 min read
Owen leaving his home for a bike ride, followed by his therapists and teachers.

Owen’s odyssey: A year and a half after an autism diagnosis

This is part 2 of Owen’s story. It tracks his early progress in treatment for autism. Part 1 described his difficult path to a diagnosis.

By Lydia Denworth
25 November 2020 | 15 min read
Illustration shows a family is watching fireworks, child sees blurry version of the event.

Eyeing the connection between autism and vision

Autism is unusually common among blind people, and children with autism are more likely to have vision problems than their typical peers. Understanding why could lead to better therapies for autism for autism.

By Sarah DeWeerdt
16 September 2020 | 15 min read
Illustration shows an ear balancing on a brain, surrounded by barriers blocking sound waves

Confusion at the crossroads of autism and hearing loss

Hearing difficulties and autism often overlap, exacerbating autism traits and complicating diagnoses.

By Jyoti Madhusoodanan
12 August 2020 | 15 min read

Meet the autistic scientists redefining autism research

Growing ranks of researchers on the spectrum are overcoming barriers — from neurotypical bias to sensory sensitivities — to shape autism science.

By Rachel Nuwer
10 June 2020 | 18 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Illustration of the outlines of a baby, a bee and a robot filled in with computer code-like characters.

Babies, bees and bots: On the hunt for markers of consciousness

To truly understand consciousness, we need new methods to measure it and detect it in other intelligent systems.

By Tim Bayne
30 July 2025 | 6 min read

Jennifer Prendki explains why AI needs to emulate life

Prendki describes how her work on large artificial-intelligence models shaped her view that current AI needs inspiration from living organisms.

By Paul Middlebrooks
30 July 2025 | 109 min listen
Research visualization of reverberating activity in a selection of higher-order brain areas.

Eye puffs prompt separable sensory, affective brain responses in mice, people

Post-puff brain state might not be an emotion, some researchers caution, but the protocol provides a cross-species approach to study emotions.

By Calli McMurray
29 July 2025 | 8 min listen