Environment
Recent articles
‘These plans are simply not acceptable’: Q&A with Helen Tager-Flusberg
Last week, Tager-Flusberg formed the Coalition of Autism Scientists to push back on the U.S. government’s plans for autism research, as described by Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. The coalition already has 220 members.

‘These plans are simply not acceptable’: Q&A with Helen Tager-Flusberg
Last week, Tager-Flusberg formed the Coalition of Autism Scientists to push back on the U.S. government’s plans for autism research, as described by Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. The coalition already has 220 members.
What birds can teach us about the ‘biological truth’ of sex
Part of our job as educators is to give students a deeper understanding of the true diversity of sex and gender in the natural world.

What birds can teach us about the ‘biological truth’ of sex
Part of our job as educators is to give students a deeper understanding of the true diversity of sex and gender in the natural world.
New catalog charts familial ties from autism to 90 other conditions
The research tool reveals associations stretching across three generations.

New catalog charts familial ties from autism to 90 other conditions
The research tool reveals associations stretching across three generations.
Brain imaging at the fair with Ka Ip
Does environment affect how children from diverse backgrounds perform on tests of executive function? Ip went to the Minnesota State Fair to find out.

Brain imaging at the fair with Ka Ip
Does environment affect how children from diverse backgrounds perform on tests of executive function? Ip went to the Minnesota State Fair to find out.
Temperature tunes circadian timing in some desert mammals
Light has hogged all the attention in chronobiology research—but now, in camel, goat and mole rat experiments, temperature takes the lead.

Temperature tunes circadian timing in some desert mammals
Light has hogged all the attention in chronobiology research—but now, in camel, goat and mole rat experiments, temperature takes the lead.
Acetaminophen use during pregnancy does not increase child’s chance of having autism, study finds
The link reported in prior studies likely reflects confounding factors, which sibling-matched controls in the new work address.

Acetaminophen use during pregnancy does not increase child’s chance of having autism, study finds
The link reported in prior studies likely reflects confounding factors, which sibling-matched controls in the new work address.
In hot water: Climate change tests limits of neuronal resilience in crabs
Warming seas disrupt the function of neurons — and could seed permanent changes in marine species, according to studies of a circuit that controls digestion in crustaceans.

In hot water: Climate change tests limits of neuronal resilience in crabs
Warming seas disrupt the function of neurons — and could seed permanent changes in marine species, according to studies of a circuit that controls digestion in crustaceans.
Temperament is innate but hackable, animal studies suggest
Emotional reactivity and vulnerability to stress are largely inherited in rodents — but can be modified in early life by targeting inflammation-related cells or even just adjusting an animal’s environment.

Temperament is innate but hackable, animal studies suggest
Emotional reactivity and vulnerability to stress are largely inherited in rodents — but can be modified in early life by targeting inflammation-related cells or even just adjusting an animal’s environment.
Immune-activation model mice escape infantile amnesia, retain early memories
Male pups born to mothers treated with immune-stimulating molecules show autism-like behaviors and, unlike wildtype animals, do not lose memories formed during early life.

Immune-activation model mice escape infantile amnesia, retain early memories
Male pups born to mothers treated with immune-stimulating molecules show autism-like behaviors and, unlike wildtype animals, do not lose memories formed during early life.
Neuroscientists weigh carbon costs of attending annual meeting
Travel to the Society for Neuroscience conference is responsible for tens of thousands of metric tons of carbon emissions, according to a new study, but neuroscientists have yet to agree on what that should mean for the future of the in-person meeting.

Neuroscientists weigh carbon costs of attending annual meeting
Travel to the Society for Neuroscience conference is responsible for tens of thousands of metric tons of carbon emissions, according to a new study, but neuroscientists have yet to agree on what that should mean for the future of the in-person meeting.
Explore more from The Transmitter
ABCD Study omits gender-identity data from latest release
The removal counteracts the goals of the longitudinal study by “pretending that some aspects of adolescent brain development don’t exist,” says sex differences researcher Nicola Grissom.

ABCD Study omits gender-identity data from latest release
The removal counteracts the goals of the longitudinal study by “pretending that some aspects of adolescent brain development don’t exist,” says sex differences researcher Nicola Grissom.
Neuropeptides reprogram social roles in leafcutter ants
The mechanisms that control the labor roles of ants may also be conserved in naked mole rats, a new study shows.

Neuropeptides reprogram social roles in leafcutter ants
The mechanisms that control the labor roles of ants may also be conserved in naked mole rats, a new study shows.
Perspectives from the field: Opinions in autism research
This collection of Spectrum articles from the past 12 months highlights expert perspectives on autism’s heritability and its link to biological sex, the value of transdiagnostic frameworks, and the field’s future, among other topics.

Perspectives from the field: Opinions in autism research
This collection of Spectrum articles from the past 12 months highlights expert perspectives on autism’s heritability and its link to biological sex, the value of transdiagnostic frameworks, and the field’s future, among other topics.