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A boy with autism maps the world from memory, and would-be profs are trapped in perpetual postdocs.
A map of the world that an 11-year-old boy with autism reportedly drew from memory went viral this week. The map highlights the artistic abilities that often accompany autism, as well as the rare but remarkable skill of some people on the spectrum to recall detailed scenes. Stephen Wiltshire, a 40-year-old artist with autism, made similar headlines in 2009 after drawing an 18-foot panorama of the New York City skyline based on a 20-minute helicopter ride over Manhattan.