7 April 2012 | NewScientist | 29

40 per cent or more of the variance in ideological views may ultimately be rooted in genes.

If all of this is true, it may reflect something we’ve always sort of known, but never really been willing to admit: liberals and conservatives are different sorts of people. Rational thinking about politics is not irrelevant, but seems to be less important than we thought. And this raises some important questions about how the new science of politics could be received and used.

Hibbing is devoted to the idea that his work ought to be used to promote greater political tolerance. “The notion that our opponents are not simply obstinate or uninformed but have this way of experiencing the world that we don’t understand could be useful,” he says.

As far as toleration goes, the research certainly suggests that liberals and conservatives alike have strengths and weaknesses, and ought to fare better in some situations than others. Liberals are better at handling nuance, uncertainty and flexibility, while conservatives do better with leadership, duty and loyalty. There are good things about both ideologies.

The problem with the tolerance approach, though, is that it requires the acceptance of contentious new science on both sides. How do we know that’s going to occur? What’s to say conservatives won’t reject the growing body of science on our political differences – as is their wont – and defensively assume that this is all just a way of putting them down and calling them inferior even though it isn’t? In that case, the research could prove divisive, not helpful.

Frankly, in light of the polarisation of everything else in the US, it’s hard not to fear that outcome. n

Chris Mooney ’s new book is The Republican Brain: The science of why they deny science – and reality (Wiley)

Comment on these stories at newscientist.com/opinion

Why do people with autism, like yourself, find the English language so confusing? Autistic people think in black and white and therefore interpret everything literally. Ordinary people seem to love using idioms, metaphors and figurative speech, whether to aid communication or simply to make life more interesting, whereas for autistic people they simply make no sense.

Tell me about the time your teacher told you to “pull your socks up”.I bent down and did just that. Of course the teacher got annoyed and thought I was being cheeky. This is a common problem with children on the spectrum and it is important that teachers understand that the student is simply obeying instructions. At junior school my pencil broke, so the teacher asked me to see if there were any in the cupboard. When I returned, pencil-less, she said “Were there any? ” and I said “Yes, lots”.

What if you saw a sign saying “Passengers are to remain seated at all times”?I have learned that if a sign seems bizarre, it probably doesn’t mean what it says, so I watch what other people do. If they are all ignoring the sign by standing up and leaving the bus, then I can assume the sign wasn’t meant to be taken literally.

What goes through your mind when you hear expressions like “It cost him an arm and a leg?” or “I gave him a piece of my mind”?When I hear these, a mental image appears of someone without an arm and a leg, or of someone with some of their brain in their hands giving it to someone else. When I was younger it never occurred to me that there might be another explanation, but now, if something sounds ridiculous, I can guess that it is probably an idiom, and then usually work out the meaning.

Is this what prompted you to write your book, It’s Raining Cats and Dogs: An autism spectrum guide to the confusing world of idioms, metaphors and everyday expressions?I originally started drawing pictures at junior

One minute with...

Michael Barton

school to help me remember what these phrases meant. Before long I had filled a whole folder and people started asking for copies. I hope the book will help autistic kids learn about idioms, and help adults who deal with autistic kids to understand them better.

You have high-functioning autism. What does this mean for your everyday life? It means that I have a logical mind, can concentrate for extended periods and that I’m good at science and music. But it can be extremely frustrating trying to get ordinary people to understand me.

You think there are many positives to being on the autistic spectrum.When I was 7 my parents bought me a huge K’nex construction kit. I spent the next 5 hours, without a break, constructing an enormous Ferris wheel. This ability to stick at things, combined with the logical thought processes, makes us ideally suited to the modern technological world.Interview by Alison George

Going bananas. Laughing your head off. English is a minefield if you have autism, says the student aiming to decode it

ProfileMichael Barton has high-functioning autism, studies physics at the University of Surrey, UK, plays jazz piano and gives talks on the positive aspects of autism. His book It’s raining cats and dogs is published by Jessica Kingsley

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