Given that my dissertation research focuses on some possible cellular mechanisms of autism, I try to keep an eye out for not only new research, but also more popular references in the media. One of my biggest pet peeves on the issue is the grassroots movement holding to the idea that vaccines in young kids cause autism. They hold to this belief despite the fact that in every scientific study undertaken on this topic, vaccines (and mercury-containing additives) had absolutely NO connection to the incidence of autism. Despite this overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the anti-immunization movement is still going strong (the most notable leader being Jenny McCarthy). This is a great article from Wired about how the anti-vaccine movement is (a) completely unfounded, and (b) endangering a lot more people than just the kids that don’t get the vaccines. There are actually some areas of the country that are getting close to pre-vaccination levels of childrens’ diseases we haven’t dealt with in a generation. Scary stuff. Gotta love that willful ignorance.