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Indeed, the great paradox of the writer’s life is how much time he spends alone trying to connect with other people.
The Forest for the Trees
Betsy Lerner
People have short memories. Indeed, it is precisely this shortness of memory that contributes to the spread of the plague in 1665. Past experience has led to the development of a series of Orders about what magistrates should do to control the disease when it is found in a locality. They are to meet every three weeks, consult the searchers, arrange for the killing of dogs and levy a local tax for the maintenance of the sick. If the searchers find an infected person, the house is to be closed up with all the occupants inside; a red cross is to be painted on the door and a watchman set to ensure that no one goes in or comes out. Dire punishment is threatened on those who leave: to escape is to commit a felony for which you can be hanged, whether or not you have the plague. Such orders are, of course, aimed squarely at preventing the spread of the disease, but in 1665 some people don’t remember how deadly an outbreak can be. They see the incarceration of victims as cruel and uncharitable. In April, one of the first houses to be infected is in the parish of St Giles-in-the-Fields. The magistrates order it to be sealed up but the neighbours object to such unchristian behaviour: they obliterate the red cross on the door, force the padlock that has been placed on it and release all the inhabitants as if they were victims of an injustice.
The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain
Ian Mortimer
Roughly [7 percent](https://spectrumnews.org/opinion/children-who-recover-from-autism-still-struggle/) of children with autism eventually lose their diagnosis, swapping social problems and language difficulties for more typical skills and behaviors. But it is unclear whether this transition is associated with a return to typical brain function or reflects a compensatory process.
Autism's Brain Signature Lingers Even After Loss of Diagnosis | Spectrum - Autism Research News
Ann Griswold
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