A major UK autism charity has updated its guidance to state definitively that autism is genetic: people are born autistic and remain autistic for life. A systematic review of 99 sources, including 83 research papers, concluded that inherited genetics are the primary cause, with thousands of genes combining to influence autism rather than a single “autism gene.” Scientists have identified many contributing genes but do not yet fully understand how they interact, so there is no genetic test that can predict or diagnose autism. Common public misconceptions are addressed directly: vaccines and paracetamol do not cause autism, and so-called environmental risks in research refer to factors like older parental age, serious maternal infections, prematurity or birth complications, which have only small effects. Two non-genetic factors with clear, significant links are rubella infection during pregnancy and prenatal exposure to valproate; rare spontaneous genetic changes can also increase likelihood.
The guidance draws on a formal evidence review and feedback from a panel of 300 autistic people and families, most of whom felt clearer messaging would help dispel myths, though some worried about parental guilt. The briefing argues research and policy should shift away from searching for a “cure” toward priorities set by autistic people: improved assessment and diagnostic services, better mental health support, and sustained changes across education, employment, health and social care that reduce stigma and enable autistic people to flourish.
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Neuroscientists in the US have successfully integrated human cells into mice brains, creating partly human brains in laboratory animals. The researchers aim to develop better models for testing treatments for psychiatric and neurodevelopmental diseases. (bbc.com)
Fossil tooth analysis shows that Tyrannosaurus rex was warm-blooded. This finding provides new insights into the physiology and behavior of the dinosaur. (cnn.com)
Am I Cited by AI? tracks which AI tools read and cite research papers, providing insights on AI engagement with scientific work. Users can see how often AI reads their papers and which sources they reach for most. (amicitedby.ai)
NASA plans to launch Artemis II on April 1, 2026, capturing high-speed 35mm film footage of the event. The launch is part of the Artemis program aimed at returning humans to the Moon. (images.nasa.gov)
The universe's expansion is explained by modern cosmology, which builds on past models like Copernicus's heliocentric theory that challenged geocentric views. The current standard model, despite fitting observations, is complex and contains many adjustments, similar to how earlier models used intricate mechanisms to explain planetary motion. (cosmicave.org)
Expert review reveals that benchmark issues and flawed questions have led to underestimating the physics reasoning abilities of frontier models like GPT-5.6-Sol, which achieve significantly higher scores after corrections, indicating near-saturation of leading benchmarks. (arxiv.org)
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