Radio Atlantic

The Mind Readers

14 snips
Mar 6, 2025
Dan Engber, a science writer at The Atlantic, dives into the controversial world of facilitated communication for non-speaking autistic children. He explores emotional parent-child connections and the complexities of interpreting communication through a skeptical lens. Engber questions whether the ability to seemingly read minds comes from genuine understanding or a deep desire for connection. The discussion also touches on how societal beliefs in telepathy impact our perception of such extraordinary claims.
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ANECDOTE

Podcast Argument

  • Hannah Rosen and her partner argued about the podcast The Telepathy Tapes.
  • The podcast's mind-reading scenes sounded believable, but Rosen questioned the concept of telepathy.
INSIGHT

FC Origins

  • Facilitated communication (FC) emerged in the 1970s as part of the disabilities rights movement.
  • FC aimed to empower non-speaking individuals by providing them with a way to communicate.
ANECDOTE

Mia's Experiment

  • In the podcast, Kai Dickens conducts experiments with a non-speaking autistic girl named Mia and her mother.
  • Mia's mother acts as the facilitator, and Mia appears to spell out numbers her mother is thinking of.
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