When Engineers Mate
October 25th, 2006 Posted in GeneralIEEE Spectrum: When Engineers’ Genes Collide
This is a very interesting article about Autism rates being higher in children of engineers. Engineers think systematically. When two Systematic-thinking people have children, their children are more likely to also think systematically, therefore raising the likelihood of having children with autism.
Great. Maybe that means we shouldn’t have children. 
But really, I found this article to be very interesting. Enjoy!
15 Responses to “When Engineers Mate”
By misty on Oct 25, 2006
I think the bottom line is they don’t know what causes autism. My sister in law was telling me of an article that sited too much tv before age 3 could be a leading cause of autism. I think that in part, it’s one of those things that’s probably always been around but we are just much better at diagnosing it now than ever before.
By Jessica on Oct 25, 2006
Oh yeah, I’d agree. I saw the TV theory a few weeks ago too. This article does mention the other theories and alludes to the fact that no one really knows what causes it. The major point is that engineers’ children are more likely to develop it. They also mentioned that even if that is the case, there still could be something that is causing the higher rates of diagnoses. They also mentioned that part of it probably is that they’re getting better at diagnosing it, therefore higher rates. But they don’t discount that there could be something more there. I didn’t take the article as a doom and gloom type thing. Overall, I really thought it was a good article.
By Jonathan Creekmore on Oct 25, 2006
You could look at it this way. Two engineers are more likely (due to made up statistics) to get their child checked for autism; therefore, more children of two engineers seem to have autism. Equally as likely could be that two engineers are too busy to cook proper meals for their children (also due to made up statistics); therefore, it is those evil preservatives found in quickie meals that makes children of engineers seem to have autism more often. It just reinforces that correlation does not imply causation.
By Jessica on Oct 25, 2006
I’m not sure the article is trying to point out anything more than correlation. Their theory does make sense to me though.
By Geof F. Morris on Oct 25, 2006
I love Jonathan’s response, for the record.
[And if that worries you, one of you can go back and get an English degree.]
By Jessica on Oct 25, 2006
I’m not especially concerned. I don’t think Rick and I either one are the stereotypical engineers, so by their theory, it doesn’t fully apply.
By misty on Oct 25, 2006
Yeah, I thought the ideas in the article were interesting. Especially the stuff about all autistic behaviors being on a continuum.
By Rick on Oct 25, 2006
No need to worry. Any child of ours will inherit so much clumsiness from the both of us that autism will be the least of our worries.
By Rick on Oct 25, 2006
Oh yeah, and you could not pay me enough to go back for an English degree!
By Geof F. Morris on Oct 25, 2006
In fact, I think that he said last week that you and I weren’t engineers at all!
That will be God’s way of keeping your very smart children from taking over the world.
Man, I should have switched majors when I had the chance.
By Jessica on Oct 25, 2006
He did tell us both we weren’t really engineers!
Yeah, we’ll be much more worried about repeated head injury!
By Rick on Oct 25, 2006
I’m also worried now about what sort of hits we’ll get in the referral log due to the title of this one. Mmmm… mating engineers. Just what everyone wants to find on the interweb.
By Jessica on Oct 25, 2006
Well….. what would you have titled it?
By Rick on Oct 25, 2006
I don’t know! Ask an English major!
By teamwinks on Oct 25, 2006
I’m sure you will have absolutely wonderful children!