Scott explores the puzzling relationship between congenital blindness, schizophrenia, and autism, discussing potential explanations and the need for further research. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses the intriguing psychiatric trivia that congenitally blind people never develop schizophrenia, but are 50 times more likely to be diagnosed with autism. He explores this in the context of the diametrical model of autism vs. schizophrenia, which suggests these conditions are opposites in many ways. Scott speculates on possible explanations, including the idea that blindness might shift certain neural hyperparameters towards the autism end of a spectrum. He acknowledges the complexity of the issue and the need for further research, mentioning studies on sensory deprivation and its effects on both conditions. Shorter summary

The post explores the diametrical model of autism and schizophrenia, suggesting they represent opposite ends of a spectrum from mechanistic to mentalistic cognition. Longer summary

This post discusses the diametrical model of autism and schizophrenia, which posits that these conditions are opposite ends of a spectrum from overly mechanistic to overly mentalistic cognition. The author explains how this theory accounts for observed similarities and differences between autism and schizophrenia, including genetic, neurological, and behavioral factors. The post explores the concepts of schizotypy and high-functioning autism, and how they relate to this model. It also touches on gender differences, mutational load, and how this theory might explain certain cognitive strengths and weaknesses associated with each condition. The author acknowledges that while there's limited scientific evidence for this model, it provides an interesting framework for understanding these complex disorders. Shorter summary