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The actual question is- what is or was neuro-diversity useful for? Its a uncomfortable question, because the answers may insult conservative and progressive com

The actual question is- what is or was neuro-diversity useful for? Its a uncomfortable question, because the answers may insult conservative and progressive comfort zones. The publicly condemned sadistic murderer, might be a perfectly adapted model-citizen for a society that wents savage every second generation. The schizoid paranoid might be have been a model citizen in society ravaged by disease and bubonic plague, forming hate-filled sub-communitys, who would purge outsiders and self-quarantine. The sexual-deviant might have been a model citizen in a society that had no real justice system, by being forced to uphold basic social contracts. Autism would be a attempt of evolution to develop reliable automation and mass production in a medieval society in need of it. All of this of course has to be "triggered" somehow, so there would be a feedback loop of mothers in the making, that create with the society they perceive, the counter measure of tomorrow. Have strife and stress? Next generation will have more psychopaths that see your genetic lottery ticket through that. Have a disease like the anti-baby-pill? Lots of paranoid schizophrenic that want humanity to retreat into gated community. Of course non of this is written in stone, it is always how nature turned out by supply and demand. What we make of this, is completely open to debate, but it has to be made upon a foundation of well researched knowledge, not upon a wishing well.

sethrin 10y ago
There is no need to assume a reason for genetic variance or a particular genetic expression. The idea that evolution is directed, that each change is somehow purposeful has been fairly conclusively disproven: genetic drift has been observed nearly universally. As speculative fiction your ideas are somewhat interesting. I don't know if you've ever tried your hand at a short story, but it could be a good premise.
internaut 10y ago
As I see it, neurodiversity is more useful if the environment suddenly changes. In a stable environmental niche most forms of neurodiversity are probably a drawback. For instance (reflecting on your examples) it should be obvious to us that the word 'crime' meant something much narrower several thousand (or hundred) years ago.

sethrin 10y ago

There is no need to assume a reason for genetic variance or a particular genetic expression. The idea that evolution is directed, that each change is somehow purposeful has been fairly conclusively disproven: genetic drift has been observed nearly universally. As speculative fiction your ideas are somewhat interesting. I don't know if you've ever tried your hand at a short story, but it could be a good premise.

internaut 10y ago

As I see it, neurodiversity is more useful if the environment suddenly changes. In a stable environmental niche most forms of neurodiversity are probably a drawback. For instance (reflecting on your examples) it should be obvious to us that the word 'crime' meant something much narrower several thousand (or hundred) years ago.