The Topic of Great Randomness

[Agent M]

lol. *shakes head* The net wouldn't be the same without you Gryphon the Puffball.

[Gryphon]

I am a puffball, aren't I? Oh, and here's my brother...

*Grumbles*

Hah. I'm so bored and I don't wanna study for my history exam. I HATE exams. And now my poopy brother is IMing me from the other compie. Yes, I will kick him.

[Tanis]

Kick him where the sun don't shine maybe that will teach him, Maybe?

[Melissa]

Thanks eveyone!!!! And you to could wright poems to. I have plunty of them 'cause I am in a class. Any you all can wright them better then I can anyway. Just wanted to say thanks!!!

[Gryphon]

One liners, people. No one liners!!!

Okay. What happened today... We had a test in art. Oh what fun. I aced it. Lesse, you had to know what vertical, horizontal, horizon line, vaniching point, line, and parallel lines meant, plus a few other stuff. We're doing perspective. Aug, so boring. But I didn't agree with the teacher with the teacher's definition of a parallel line. Never touch? Well, that could be find if you were doing euclidian geometry. I mean, two flat lines on a flat plane... If they never touch, sure they're parallel. But what if they weren't on the same plane? Or what if one went through a plane, but wasn't flat on it? They don't have to touch either. Equidistant at all points works better. Ah well. It doesn't really matter.

It looks like I'm not gonna have Latin next year. I want Latin, but instead I'm stuck with Spanish. I want Latin.

[brokencello]

It's been a while, but I am still alive. I haven't suffered a random heart attack or been paralyzed...yet. So what happened in art exactly? You sound confusing. This place has changed a lot, but I sure did miss it. Do you remember me?

[Gryphon]

Heh. I remember you!

Okay, I have a question that I'd like people to answer as soon as possible.

What was the disease that Darryl in Alone had?

My brother is looking for a topic for his research report, and I thought a disease like this one would be great. Diseases like that are always great topics.

[db_pr]

It's not a disease. It's a condition. And it's Autism.

[Gryphon]

Ah, yeah. That's right.

Oooh... here's a bit more information.

For a long time, people used to think Autism was caused by some emotional trauma like it was a phycological thing, but people have been finding out that that wasn't the case. Instead, it's more of a chemical in the brain that is causing the person to withdraw.

Well, isn't it more of a disease then? Diseases aren't just caused by pathogens like bacteria or viruses. Like genetic diseases. So I think Autism would fit under that umbrella.

That's something to look into, but my brother decided on Lou Gehrig's disease instead. Ah well.

[Agent M]

Hola bc, I remember you... I remember everyone... lol. There was worlebird, Em, Sean Gilpin (Remember him? He was, no offense, the only person on here I didn't exactly like...) Hmm... There was Nita, crookedfrog, me thinks all of you guys (cept newbies) remember her And then there was Civi. If I forgot anyone that was on a lot in the beginning and isn't now, tell me! lol.
Autism sounds interesting, I researched it for a little while after I read Alone, then it got REALLY confusing... it's a tough subject.

[Rysade]

Oh, well, there was DD, (remember her?) and Caledonian, followed immediately by Myself. Yeah. Yeah, I did capitalize that! Got a problem?

Hmm. Perhaps I'm getting weird in my old age. I miss worlebird. It was fun to mix up his name with Tui's. And where has Em gone!? And when will she return?

Ragarding autism: According to my biology book, I think autism would fall under the category of "genetic disorder" - the inheritance of mutant genes. My book says that a genetic disease is an illness where "factors alter previously workable genes in a way that disrupts body functions." Small technical differences, but different nonetheless. Hope that clears it up somewhat.

[Rysade]

That fits with what I know of it. I read in Wired Magazine that Autism is becoming a big thing in Silicon Valley, because all the introverted people there are breeding and making people who are so introverted they are incapable of human interaction. That's a pretty general picture of my understanding of the article. Anyway, genetically that makes sense.

[Birdhead]

bc! Long time no see.
Agent M, I think she was joking, somewhat....

As for autism- well, all my knowledge of said genetic (?) illness (actually no it can't be genetic because if it's caused by a chemical it's not neccesarily an inherited thing... is it? Anyway, not like haemophilia or muscular dystrophy, where a gene is passed down (tends to be passed through girls, but worse for boys, don't know why) and, if you have the gene, you also have the disease- from brith. Autism isn't like that, it happens at different stages in lif and it doesn't seem to be like a progession, does it?) come sfrom Alone. In Alone I think it was stated pretty clearly that causes of autism are still basically unknown. I;m pretty sure that it doesn't have anything to do with how extroverted or not so your parents were- or at least I think current wisdom holds that.

[Gryphon]

That's a topic to look into. So what is it??? Genetic disorder, genetic illness, or what? Really weird.

As for Silicon Valley... *shudders*. That's not good.