[StolarStorm]

Yep. I wrote part of the onboard space shuttle software along with a number of other interesting efforts. Everyone that I worked with at NASA and other entities that were gifted in some areas (and with great deficits in other areas) were just like me. We groked each other.

I have yet to meet someone that I consider gifted that doesn't display some Asperger traits. So, I do not consider those traits to be an aspect of Autism, but rather an aspect of being unusually good in specific areas. Those with Aspergers have been studied and have 40% more neurons than others. Just being that way makes us weird because we have a hard time relating to others and have a hard time shutting thoughts down. I never relax. My brain is always churning. It sucks now that I'm not working on anything difficult.

[marktwain]

I hear you. Do you know of any research/essays which explore the contributions of Asbergers to civilization/technological progress?

I have been considering such an essay, but have tended to shy away from the work.

[NorthMountain]

My brain is always churning

And that is why I'm glad I was a child a long time ago, before the horrid fetish for "diagnosing" everything really took hold.