Spotted around the web: Week of 27 August 2018

This article is more than five years old.

Neuroscience—and science in general—is constantly evolving, so older articles may contain information or theories that have been reevaluated since their original publication date.

Research roundup

A uniformly smooth placental shape is, if nothing else, a unique contribution to the long list of factors linked to autism. PLOS One
Maternal opioid use before conception is tied to increased autism odds in children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Melatonin in prolonged-release form shows potential for treating insomnia in children with autism. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology
Parents of girls with autism worry about their futures, but some seem reluctant to talk about sexual health with their daughters. Autism & Developmental Language Impairments
‘Double helix rainbow kids’ is one clinician’s term for autistic youth who are gender-nonconforming. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
What makes the human brain unique? Maybe it’s this newfound ‘rosehip’ neuron. Nature Neuroscience
When autistic adults live with family, they encounter more obstacles to accessing services and having their needs met. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
In young people with autism, anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty both feed their worry about personal failure. Behavior Therapy

Science and society

Despite abundant evidence to the contrary, the majority of people in some European countries still think autism and vaccines might be linked. The Conversation
Meanwhile, Russian ‘trolls’ are busy on U.S. social media pushing the idea that vaccines cause autism. BuzzFeed News
Shock was the primary reaction to news that Tom Frieden, former head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was arrested for groping a woman. CNBC
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is working on a policy to revoke AAAS fellow status for members found guilty of harassment. Twitter
Would a funding model homegrown in Silicon Valley fill in the grant gaps opening up at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH)? The Scientist
The NIH is poking around in the financial affairs of grant recipients, primarily in technology, on the lookout for failure to disclose foreign funding. STAT
Brexit poses a greater-than-expected threat to British science. BBC News
The CDC has announced plans to include teenagers in its autism surveillance network, which previously focused only on 8-year-olds. Disability Scoop
The world of neurotypicals needs to listen to people on the spectrum and stop thinking of them in clichés. Aeon
U.K. charities that train support dogs for autistic people are overwhelmed with requests. BBC News
Almost 200 years after his birth, Gregor Mendel’s name becomes a buzzword in clinical trials. MIT Technology Review

Autism and the arts

Social provocateur Sacha Baron Cohen (‘the other Baron Cohen’ to autism researchers) tried — and failed — to trick NIH director Francis Collins into doing something regrettable for the comedian’s new Showtime special. STAT
Neurologist and author Oliver Sacks made notes in the margins of books he was reading that reveal some strong opinions. Twitter
A photographer combines candid stills from her autistic brother’s life with illuminating handwritten commentary from him. The New York Times

Funding news

U.S. science and engineering is getting a superlatively powerful supercomputer, thanks to a $60 million funding bolus from the National Science Foundation. National Science Foundation
Not to be outdone, a Chinese billionaire living in the United States has earmarked $1 billion of his personal funds for brain research. The Business Times