Elon Musk and Bill Gates, two of the most powerful tech leaders, have both hinted being "different or difficult" as a factor on their routes to success. While Gates has speculated that he might have been diagnosed on the autism spectrum if he had come of age today, Musk has freely admitted that he has Asperger's syndrome, now classified under Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). But does neurodivergence automatically lead to success, or are they outliers who buck the trends?

The suggestion that neurodiverse people could be born for success is not new. What research indicates is that a great many people on the autism spectrum exhibit superior cognitive skills in recognizing patterns, systemizing, and focused thinking—skills that overlap neatly with work in technology, engineering, and mathematics. Musk himself has talked about working through whole nights writing computer programs as a kid, deriving huge pleasure from solo intellectual activity. His capacity to think in systems has certainly helped him succeed in spearheading companies like Tesla and SpaceX.

Gates himself remembers childhood as a time of extreme mental inquisitiveness, spending so much time on projects he would have problems with social mores. Both his parents were supportive and institutional, channeling his intellectual ability while directing social growth. It is this synergy of untrammelled intellect and institutionalised upbringing that is significant: Can success be an outgrowth of neurodivergence, or must it also be nurtured by the correct environment?

Social Challenges and the Perception of ‘Genius’

Difficulty in social interactions, one of the hallmark features of ASD, has been acknowledged by both Gates and Musk. Musk, especially, has been questioned for his erratic behavior, and some have pointed to his at times controversial activities as being symptoms of ASD-type traits. Gates also admitted that his social growth was slow and had to be worked at intentionally.

Neurodivergence, though, does not justify all actions, nor does it equal low empathy or emotional IQ. While certain ASD individuals might have difficulty with social signals, strengths typically include logical thinking, creativity, and perseverance. The story of neurodivergence in the high-achieving should thus be one of comprehension, not simply classification.

Musk and Gates are in good company for their neurodivergence. Other corporate giants, including Richard Branson and Steve Jobs, have also publicly discussed characteristics associated with dyslexia and other neurodevelopmental disorders. They attribute much of their ability to think outside the box, challenge conventional norms, and revolutionize industries to their distinct wiring.

A research paper in The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders indicates that autistic people tend to excel in areas that call for precision, attention to detail, and extensive technical knowledge. This is why many leaders in STEM are neurodivergent. Still, it is also important to note the systemic advantages these individuals had—advantages such as privilege, access to resources, and enabling environments all contributed to their success.

Myth of the 'Autistic Genius'

Although tales of Musk, Gates, and other neurodivergent successes encourage hope in many, they also run the risk of perpetuating the "autistic genius" stereotype. The truth is that ASD encompasses a broad range of capacities and difficulties, and not all neurodivergent individuals will enjoy the same level of access or support network. Success in any endeavor hinges not only on intellect but on mentorship, societal support, and individual situation.

Are Neurodiverse Individuals Wired for Success?

Increased value placed on neurodiversity by society, especially in technology-driven careers, has sparked debate on what steps to take to make workplaces and schools more inclusive of various thinking styles. Employers are starting to see that employing neurodiverse staff can result in enhanced problem-solving and innovation abilities.

But to credit neurodivergence with success is to miss the nuance of human achievement. While individuals such as Musk and Gates have worked their neurodivergence into their strengths, their achievements also stem from making strategic choices, having access to resources, and being able to adjust. Their tales are not evidence that every neurodivergent person will be as successful, but they are a demonstration of the possibility of greatness when different minds are provided with proper room to excel.

According to autism expert Simon Baron-Cohen, professor at Cambridge University, and mathematician Ioan James of Oxford University, Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton displayed traits of Asperger syndrome as well, including obsessive interests, social difficulties, and communication challenges, suggesting they may have been neurodivergent without experiencing learning difficulties.

As we move deeper into the connection between neurodiversity and achievement, there is a need to transcend simplistic explanations. Embracing and understanding various cognitive styles within schools, the workplace, and broader society has the potential to unlock the talents of neurodiverse individuals without requiring them to fit into narrow ideologies of achievement.

Though Musk's genius and Gates' strategic brilliance might be a result of their neurodivergence, their paths are also a testament to the value of persistence, flexibility, and access to opportunity. The future of innovation could well rest on how we cultivate and enable neurodiverse brains—not only in tech but in all areas.

Fitness influencer Maria Palen, a chemical engineer known for her athletic lifestyle and 20,000-plus Instagram followers, is facing the unimaginable, regaining the ability to walk after being left partially paralyzed by a rare tick-borne illness. Punctuated by debilitating pain, medical uncertainty, and moments of hope, highlights how health can be derailed with the slightest ignorance or disease—even for those at peak fitness.

In early 2024, Palen start getting minor pains and aches—easily dismissed by most people. But by March, her world had turned around. Palen tells us that her "body completely gave up on me", leaving her on the cusp of immobility. Weighing 20 pounds lighter, in bed, unable to undertake even simple tasks such as locking her phone or opening a can of tuna, she confronted a harsh health deterioration unlike anything she'd ever seen.

A fitness expert who had built her life around health and outdoor activity, Palen struggled to reconcile her condition. “Why was my body failing me? I’ve always lived a healthy lifestyle,” she told her social media audience—only to learn that this was no ordinary illness.

After having been consulted by a number of experts, a diagnosis was made: babesiosis, a tick-borne parasitic infection caused by Borrelia microti. The parasite infects red blood cells, causing symptoms that vary from fever and chills to anemia and, in extreme instances, life-threatening complications.

Palen shared that she was bitten unaware while out hiking perhaps years before only to have the infection lie dormant until it broke out violently. In October, agonizing pain in the tailbone kept her from sitting. Numbness crept soon afterward from her legs up toward the belly button, and spinal fluid tests detected aberrant inflammation and high white blood cell levels. Physicians grappled with whether Lyme disease, babesiosis, or a neurotoxin was responsible.

In spite of aggressive antibiotic, antiparasitic, and pain control therapies, Palen's condition worsened neurologically. As pain medication was becoming effective, sensation waned. She explained how "my legs started going numb…until it crept all the way up to my belly button". The severity of her condition became apparent: something was interfering with her spinal cord function, although no cause was identified.

Physicians could merely provide cautious estimates: Palen had a 33% possibility of recovery, another 33% for partial recovery, the rest permanent paralysis. The intricated nature of her symptoms—spinal inflammation, destruction of red blood cells, and potential co-infection with Lyme disease—made it a daunting task to diagnose and treat her.

In spite of setbacks, December provided a glimmer of hope when Palen regained minimal movement in one leg. Through mid-2025, she is still reporting progress: strengthening stride, side steps under control, and small but significant gains in leg strength—albeit still lacking in quad muscle function and knee flexion.

Now living with family in Texas, Palen's rigorous rehabilitation involves eight hours a week of physical therapy, focusing on nerve growth, muscle building, and restoring mobility. She remains hopeful: "If not, I feel like mentally I would spiral," she said to PEOPLE, stressing that hope is crucial to her rehabilitation.

Palen's sickness didn't just derail her physical well-being but also her finances. She lost her job, apartment, and savings, prompting friends to set up a GoFundMe in January. The campaign has since raised over $12,000 to cover rising medical costs while she receives rehabilitation.

In spite of the uncertainty of diagnosis and rollercoaster of emotion, Palen persists. Her daily posts on social media highlight tiny triumphs—every restored step or feeling is cause for celebration as a symbol of resistance and strength.

Worse, co-infections are common: nearly 66% of Lyme disease patients also carry Babesia, making clinical presentations more difficult and diagnosis even later. In extreme cases—most notably among the elderly or immunosuppressed—the case-fatality rate can reach as high as 20%, raising a serious public health issue.

What is Babesiosis?

Babesiosis, which is caused by Babesia parasites, most often parades under the disguise of malaria in its initial stages, with fever, headaches, and muscle aches occurring one to six weeks following a tick bite. In extreme instances, it can cause organ failure, anemia, or hepatosplenomegaly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates mortality to be around 0.5% for babesiosis, but this is increased to 20% in the elderly or immunocompromised population. Palen's infection was especially severe, as it "completely shattered" her immune system, she said.

Ticks, tiny spider-like parasites measuring between 1mm and 1cm, are blood-feeders of mammals, including humans. In the United States, babesiosis is caused by two microbes: Babesia microti, which is transmitted by summer ticks, and B. duncani, which is spread by winter ticks during the fall and early winter. Although only around 2,500 cases are diagnosed each year, experts caution that others go undetected because of misdiagnosis or a lack of health provider awareness.

How Do You Keep Tick-Borne Illnesses from Happening?

Prevention is still the best method of avoiding severe tick-borne disease, say health authorities. The CDC and others advise:

• Wearing long sleeves, pants, and light-colored clothing when in tick-infested areas
• Using permethrin-treated clothing
• Conducting daily tick inspections—particularly after wilderness use
• Quick and careful removal of ticks with fine-point tweezers

Symptom monitoring—such as for unexplained fever, weakness, rash, or neurological findings—1–6 weeks after possible exposure. As Palen's experience illustrates, prompt detection can be life-changing, but also rare neurological complications, like spinal cord inflammation or paralysis, should be better known.

Although Palen has an indeterminate prognosis, her mind is still geared to the future. She continues to attend therapy, postures about her recovery, and stresses the need to stay mentally tough and surrounded by support groups. Daily function improves incrementally—a hopeful indication that nerve regeneration, even in the case of severe destruction, is possible.

Her case also highlights the necessity for immediate need for medical training, diagnostic equipment, and public education about tick-borne illnesses—including babesiosis—while rare, they can explode exponentially without early treatment. With climate change and habitat invasion fueling an explosion of tick populations, Palen's experience is an appeal to individuals to be cautious and to the medical community prioritize early detection and treatment.

As the number of people reporting pancreatic issues after taking the weight loss and diabetic jabs increases, health officials have launched an investigative study to figure out the unexpected side-effects of the drug.

In the UK, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Genomics England are asking anyone who was using these shots and ended up in the hospital with a sudden pancreas problem called acute pancreatitis to get in touch. Hundreds of people have reported pancreas issues after taking drugs like Mounjaro, Ozempic, and Wegovy, but doctors haven't yet proven that the shots caused these problems.

What Is The Goal Of This Study?

The study is part of the MHRA's Yellow Card scheme. This system lets anyone report a problem with a medicine, vaccine, or medical device, which helps doctors find safety issues early. People aged 18 and older who had a serious reaction to these weight loss shots (which are also used for type 2 diabetes) should report it on the Yellow Card website.

They'll then be asked if they want to join the study. This study will check if some people's genes make them more likely to get acute pancreatitis when taking these medicines. Patients will give more information and a saliva sample, hoping to reduce these side effects in the future.

What has The Study Found So Far?

As of May 13 this year, 10 deaths from pancreatitis in people using weight loss drugs were reported to the Yellow Card website, though other health factors might have been involved. It's tough to track exact user numbers since many buy these drugs online without a prescription. While health officials suggest these shots can aid obesity efforts, they caution that they're not a "magic solution" and often cause side effects like nausea, constipation, or diarrhea. The MHRA also warned that Mounjaro could reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills for some users.

What Is Pancreatitis: Acute & Chronic?

Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, and this can either be acute or chronic. Finding out whether one has pancreatitis as well as getting it under control is very important as if left unchecked, it can lead to long-term damage and other complications.

As you may know, our pancreas makes important digestive enzymes as well as insulin, which helps us break down glucose components and transform it into energy. Pancreatitis happens when the pancreas enzymes damage the pancreatic tissue itself.

The key difference between acute and chronic pancreatitis is that they are actually different conditions. According to a 2021 study published in the Cureus journal,

Acute Pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is a sudden, short-term inflammation of the pancreas. When someone has acute pancreatitis, they usually feel severe pain in the upper part of their belly, either in the middle or on the right side. This type of pancreatitis often comes on quickly and, with proper treatment, can resolve. Here are the symptoms, causes and treatment options, according to National Health Services UK.

Symptoms

Acute pancreatitis is a sudden, short-term swelling of your pancreas. The most common signs are severe, sudden pain in the middle of your stomach. You might also feel or be sick, and have diarrhea.

Causes

Acute pancreatitis happens when digestive chemicals inside your pancreas start to attack the organ itself. It's most often linked to two main things: gallstones, which cause about half of all cases, and drinking alcohol, which is behind about a quarter of cases. You can lower your risk by drinking less alcohol and making diet changes to prevent gallstones

Treatment

Treatment for acute pancreatitis focuses on supporting your body while the swelling goes down. You'll usually need to stay in the hospital for fluids through a vein, pain relief, food support, and oxygen. Most people get better within a week and can leave the hospital in 5 to 10 days, though severe cases might take longer due to complications.

Chronic Pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis is a long-lasting inflammation of the pancreas that often gets worse over time. Unlike acute pancreatitis, the symptoms of chronic pancreatitis can be much broader. People might have ongoing belly pain, but they can also show signs that their pancreas isn't working properly. This can lead to problems with digestion and even diabetes.

Symptoms

Chronic pancreatitis means your pancreas has long-lasting swelling. The main symptom is repeated, severe stomach pain, usually in the middle or left side, that can spread to your back. This pain is often described as burning or shooting and can last for hours or days, sometimes without a clear trigger.

As the condition worsens, these painful episodes might happen more often and be more severe. Eventually, you might feel a constant, dull pain in your belly even between bad episodes, especially if you keep drinking alcohol.

Causes

The most common reason for chronic pancreatitis is drinking too much alcohol for many years. This can cause repeated attacks of sudden pancreatitis, leading to more and more damage. In children, cystic fibrosis is the most common cause. Other less common causes include smoking, your immune system attacking the pancreas, genetic problems, injury, gallstones blocking ducts, or radiation. Sometimes, no cause is found.

Treatment

The damage to your pancreas from chronic pancreatitis is permanent, but treatment can help manage the condition and symptoms. Doctors usually advise stopping alcohol and smoking. You'll also get medicine to relieve pain. In some cases of severe pain, surgery might be an option to help control the condition and improve your quality of life.

All doctors agree on one thing; walking is great for your health. It is an often overlooked aspect of exercising, but even a quick 10-minute brisk walk can do wonders! Walking is an assessable exercise that can easily fit into anyone's daily routine through actions like walking to your place of work or walking during break etc. It helps your heart and might even lower your risk of dementia. The NHS (National Health Service) in the UK constantly reminds us how beneficial walking is, proving it's a powerful way to stay healthy without needing fancy equipment or intense workouts.

Many people aim for 10,000 steps a day, this usually means walking about five to eight kilometers, taking one to two hours. But where did this number come from? Harvard Health explains that the 10,000-step goal actually became popular because of an old advertising trick. It was tied to the 1964 Olympics and a Japanese step counter called "Manpo-kei," which means "10,000-step meter." The company cleverly used the fact that the Japanese symbol for "ten thousand" looks a bit like a person walking.

How Many Steps Do You Really Need In A Day to Stay Healthy?

Scientists have been trying to find the perfect number of steps. A 2022 study published in the JAMA Network found that walking anywhere from 3,800 to 9,800 steps daily could lower your risk of dementia. This study suggested that just under 10,000 steps, especially taken at a fast pace (around 112 steps per minute), might be ideal for avoiding dementia.

But you don't have to hit 10,000 steps to benefit! A large review of many studies showed that as few as 2,337 steps a day could reduce your risk of dying from heart problems. And walking 3,867 steps could lower your risk of death from any cause. For every extra 1,000 steps you take, your risk of dying drops by 15%.

Ideal Step Count As You Age

The ideal number of steps can change based on your age. If you're under 60, studies suggest aiming for 7,000 to 13,000 steps. For those 60 and older, the biggest health benefits were seen when walking between 6,000 to 10,000 steps. Other research showed that walking more than 2,200 steps (about one mile) was linked to living longer and having less heart disease. For women over 60, walking 6,000 to 7,500 steps lowered their risk of death. For younger people, the benefits didn't really increase much beyond 8,000 to 10,000 steps.

Why Walk Faster May Be More Beneficial?

It's not just about how many steps you take; how fast you walk is also important. A recent study found that walking at a brisk pace could lower your risk of heart rhythm problems. The researchers said a slow pace was under 3 mph, an average pace was 3-4 mph, and a fast pace was over 4 mph. Even when considering other factors, walking at an average or fast pace was linked to a 35% to 43% lower risk of irregular heartbeats compared to walking slowly. So, walking faster can make your heart even healthier.