THIS IS AN ASPERGER'S SYNDROME STORY
First, a word about the picture. It is a piece of technology. To be exact, it is a wind turbine mast section in Ellsworth, Kansas. It is relevant.
This story is about Asperger's or Aspies as we call ourselves. Syndrome is misleading. Aspies, the highest functioning ones, do not have a disease and we are not abnormal in a negative sense. Nor are we monsters. We are gifted.
As a child, I was rather "abnormal." I liked being alone. Partly because I felt uncomfortable in social settings but mostly because I could do what I wanted. This proved a bit uncomfortable for my rear end; but, it was worth it. After all, this was the early 60's. I watched my elementary school get built. I would go with my brother to play on the construction site. It was only a quarter mile away. I was 5, he was 7 and we were supposed to be in the yard. My how times have changed!
School was an interesting experience. I didn't like it; so, I went home. I didn't tell anyone. Just walked home during recess. The school was worried and called Mom. She said I was home and I would return tomorrow. She chuckled as she told me I wasn't supposed to do that. I miss my Mom, she was a good sport. School was never much fun. It was boring and the other kids didn't like me. I was weird. Always picked last for softball, etc. That one bothered me because it was evident I wasn't the worst player, not by a long shot. Just different. I was bullied a bit but not as much as others. I was quiet and a bit scary. The girls were the worst. They teased me all the time for being sensitive. I never let any of it bother me. For me and my mind set, it did not matter. I didn't care. I would rather walk in the woods, hunt or fish. It wasn't until I got to high school that any of these things affected me. Yet, as an individual, they were shaping me. I was becoming antisocial and a bit bad tempered. And, exceptionally smart and cunning. I was a "bad" boy who rarely got caught. However, I've never hurt or bothered anyone intentionally. Least not since I was a kid. Does iReports count? I digress. ;-)
Now, folks are probably wondering what this has to do with Atlantis. I'll explain. It isn't just that Aspies are different. Our brains are wired differently. Associations made in learning are different. The triggers are different. The recall is different. It is neuro-diversity. Comparative analysis says I'm very different from "normal" in cognitive ability. This is clearly a genetic mutation. A very good one. However, some people's brains end up not working very well. Low functioning Aspies exist. This gets us to the part of speculation. The question becomes, is this just a random mutation or the introduction of a mutation developed in isolation? In terms of neurology, I think a random mutation is unlikely. I think it would manifest differently. Meaning, there would have been a pocket of these geniuses and we have no evidence of such. The possibility of a still developing mutation derived from interracial breeding is also a possibility. I think it unlikely as well because there would still be pockets of extreme intellect. Aspies are suspected of being the greatest minds of our known history. Partly, I am relying on this loose assessment.
*THE STORY OF ATLANTIS*
Yes, I believe Atlantis existed. And, for those who know all I'm skeptical of, this shouldn't be taken lightly. Atlantis probably existed in the Americas. Somewhere in the Caribbean. It probably started out on one of the islands soon after the end of the Ice Age~10000-12000 years ago. A man and his wife, while fishing off the North Coast of Africa, got caught in a tropical wave. They became shipwrecked in the Americas. They found an uninhabited paradise. They continued to fish and live in their new world. They had children and developed a new society. Their society had many growing pains, the result of inbreeding. Inbreeding amplifies flaws and strengths. The resulting society was probably fairly shaky for many generations. However, they caught a lucky break and developed favorable genetic mutations. Among them the differently wired brain. As someone who has significant portions of this brain type, I feel confident in saying these individuals would value life and learning above all else. They would quickly build good boats, construct needed tools and flourish. Their paradise would be precious to them. They would not harm it. This would prompt them to move to the mainland. A place they would have discovered much the same way they found their island. A storm would have pushed a boat to the coast. They were lucky enough to return. When analyzing such probabilities, it should be noted we developed most of what we have in 200 years. Atlantis would have never became very large because of the environmental impact and its origin. They managed their population growth and developed new technology. We tend to think of technology in terms of the provided picture. The people of Atlantis probably did not develop internal combustion engines nor did they move about on a point of flame. If they did, they did a superb job of dismantling the needed infrastructure. Their major technological advancement was the waveguide. They understood the true nature of the Universe and the construction thereof. How do I know this? I recognize a piece of their technology for what it is. We can only speculate on what other advancements they had. We cannot know how long they existed. However, if they are the forbearers of my mentality, they would have intentionally left no trace of their technology. Or, at least, tried too. We are not worthy of it. It is to the hydrogen bomb what the hydrogen bomb is to a firecracker.
So, what happened to Atlantis, if it existed? The most likely disaster would be disease. Their demise coincided with the spread of humans in many parts of the globe. Perhaps, they got too close and contracted the equivalent of small pox. Maybe a woman from Atlantis fell in love with a handsome man of a tribe she was watching and decided to sample the forbidden fruit. Whatever the cause, the people of Atlantis abandoned paradise. Probably, realizing the futility of trying to maintain isolation and their secrets, they destroyed what remained of their society and moved out into the world.
They went into the Americas, Egypt, Europe and Asia. They created civilizations there by marshaling the inhabitants into societies. The technology they kept cannot be used without understanding. It would allow them to appear as super human. The demise of Atlantis seems to correspond with the rise of civilization elsewhere.
Now, most will say this is all speculation. However, I claim it is provable/refutable speculation. The genetic markers of this brain type will be traceable in Aspies from the various points I mention. They should be the same across all races if they have the same source. Perhaps, the "chosen ones" are the direct descendants carrying this gene. Maybe lost tribes of Israel in America and Asia?
All stories have some basis in fact. Atlantis is from such a story. As was Troy. Could it be "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" comes from a central story? Some of the stories in the Bible. Are they tales of Atlantis?
Also, there is a possibility abandoned technology of Atlantis exists. It would be found deep underground with access from the sea. There should be a pilot shaft to the chamber on land. It would be under a 70-100 ton stone or pile of such stones. There would be no technological means of detecting the chamber in its heyday. It is probably flooded now and it could be huge. A clue would be brackish wells on the Yucatan peninsula or other areas in that part of the world. When thinking of Atlantis and technology, think IX from Dune. This world was precious to them. Not shiny metals, sparkly rocks or grandiose monuments to their ego.