Actually, the autism/age link is much stronger for fathers than mothers, and the increased risk is very small (about a doubling of a very, very small chance). It's nothing compared to factors like family history, education, and so on.

I found the NY mag article that came out recently on this topic really interesting ([nymag.com]), and I loved the writer's respectful attitude towards the families interviewed.

Terrifying - I'm 29, recently singled after a long relationship that we both though would lead to babies in the next few years... and 35 is seeming really close at hand.

Ha :)!

Just a note on your third point - many adoption agencies won't consider older parents as candidates; age cutoffs vary, but older people looking to adopt may find themselves having access only to agencies/countries that have poor ethical and legal track-records.

So this!

@AwwwwShiz

I think that it may be possible for people who are extremely small-boned and who have very little muscle. I know one person who is in that ball-park, and seems to have a healthy lifestyle. She doesn't look skinny, either (in the sense that she doesn't have visible bones or have any obvious physical problems that could…

I expected a similar criticism when I clicked on the link - something about the perils of suporting a corporation that engages in anti-union activities, pays its American workers low-wage, and has genuinely bad sourcing practices undermining the safety and salaries of the people who make its stuff.

On behalf of my wider circle of family and friends who will all be hearing of this awesome piece of scriptural/comparative anatomical trivia (whether they are interested in it or not)... thank you!

In other news, I suspect that there are at least a few teams of film writers out there this morning getting to work on using this idea as part of a cheese-tastic revenge drama.

But but... tiger-claw cookies!

Using dead people to make weapons: an oldie but a goodie, because good (creepy?) ideas never go out of style ([ejournal.anu.edu.au]).

I get the impression that Paul Bettany's issue is at least in part self-inflicted (though maybe I am just judgemental because I am too ignorant about the business side of the film industry). There are lots of amazing films being made, but he seems to consistently star in awful, awful films of late. At this point I see…

Yup. I'm shy and socially awkward at the best of times, but I will ostentatiously ignore any guy that interests me, at all. I can't even think about the possibility of pursuing a guy without loosing al ability to have basic polite conversations with him (Hey - we hadn't really talked until tonight, but he seems really…

I'm in the same camp - I understand the idea of tease-flirting, but when people try to apply it to me, I just get offended/scared/sad, no matter how obvious and unsubtle they are.

No I definitely agree with you - I don't think that the comments were meant as anything other than a piece of information (for someone ignorant enough that he obviously needs it) about how useful the pill is for these women personally, for many different reasons.

Also, use of longer words that sound like but aren't quite equivalent to the ones he actually means.

There is one thing that bothers me about the (overall awesome) reaction to this piece: many people who defend the pill do so by explaining the non-contraceptive uses to which they have put the drug, as though the latter alone weren't justification enough.