The Autism Channel is a world renowned network for the autistic community. It streams autism programs of interest that are entertaining and informative. All hosts on the channel are on the autistic spectrum. At present the Autism Channel is available on two platforms, the Roku set-top box and Panasonic Viera. They are viewed in over 32,000 homes with on average around 96,000 viewers. They are currently developing software that will put the channel on more and more branded platforms including tablets and smart phones.
The founders of the Autism Channel Jerry Trowbridge & Ray Smithers, have both been in the radio & television business for more than a combined fifty years: early pioneers in computer technology and speech coupled with telephony. On demand television allows very busy care-givers and their children to watch what they want when they want and it’s all free.
Talking exclusively to Autism Daily Newscast Clayton Ulrich Nuckelt, who is the executive producer of Discover Your Mind on the Autism Channel was very excited to share with us details of his new show. he told us:
“After over 25 years of research, Cornelius “Bushy” Van Eck made a discovery that the scientific community has been looking for so long; the missing link to Einstein’s theory of relativity and quantum mechanics and much more including how our brains process information in relation to time. Bushy is grateful that Ray and Jerry see the potential of his show becoming a big hit with its viewers. Bushy is a pillar for the autistic community and people will enjoy watching his episodes wanting to see what he will be talking about next”.
He then added that Bushy’s theories on time and space will;
“challenge (with total respect) Einstein’s theory of relativity by taking it to the next step but firstly by going back to Isaac Newton’s theory of time. Many of today’s famous scientists are looking to the brain to understand the Cosmos.”
One such physicist and theorist is that of Michio Kaku, who shared his views in the NBC News article, Brainiac Says We’ll All Be Part of the ‘Brain-Net’ Someday, that can be read here
At present the show, Discover Your Mind is in production. Clayton describes Bushy as having one of the world’s most extraordinary minds; He is a member of Mensa and has an IQ higher than most college professors. He is also a published author of the work ‘Prisoners of Our Minds’.
However when talking to us, Clayton described that because of Bushey’s own mental challenges of growing up in the 1960s in South Africa as a child with undiagnosed Asperger’s Syndrome, he struggled through school and never finished high school. However then with the birth of the internet he began to teach himself physics, philology and quantum mechanics.
In a podcast interview with Autism Parenting magazine, Bushy talks openly about his years growing up in South Africa and about how he was not understood. Now at age 59 he looks back on those years and comments that people did not know about autism or Asperger’s then and that even today in South Africa, people still do not know or understand autism.
”I was either treated as dumb or not conforming to the norms of society; being difficult and that type of thing. Even today in South Africa, some people have really no knowledge about Autism or Asperger’s or anything like that. It’s almost like people just don’t care about it.”
During this remarkable interview with Leslie Burby, Bushy describes that he has always had an inquisitive mind, even from a very young age:
“When I was small, I had a very inquisitive mind. No matter what you showed or asked me, I always wanted to know, how it worked and how something was possible. Even if they taught me the sky was blue, I wanted to know why it’s blue and that led me to a lot of problems with my parents and even with my teachers and everybody I knew. Like for example, if they brought me some toys or something, my brothers or sisters would play with the toys; within an hour my toy would have been into a million pieces. I just liked to see what it was made of especially if it was like a little dinky toy, or a toy that made noises when I pushed it around, I would open it up to see what was causing this noise inside.”
But he then goes on to add that this inquisitiveness also caused him problems, especially when at school:
“From grade 1, when the teachers asked a question, I was always the first to answer and then they would get angry with me after a while and said, “Keep quiet! Give the other children a chance.” So that’s what I would sort of work through. Then the teacher would ask me a question and I didn’t know what she was asking because I didn’t listen to him; my mind was preoccupied with something else especially if they were teaching something. I would catch [or understand] what they were teaching in the first few seconds and then I had to wait a couple of minutes for the other children to catch up. That was very irritating.”
When chatting to Clayton he told us more about Bushy’s theory:
“What is so different with Bushy’s theory is almost anyone willing to learn it will be able to understand it, grasp it with time, and apply it in their own lives. This will help them understand why we are all so different, as all our minds are unique to ourselves. When we compare other people to our own realities, expecting them to act and behave the same as we do, it is an unfair expectation. When we start to realize how we are all wired a little differently, compassion sets in our psyche and we are transformed forever.
Bushy’s theory will take you beyond the Cosmos, on a heartfelt journey so powerful and full of remarkable revelations you will never see life the same. There are truly no words that I can find to even explain it. You will have to experience it for yourself and make own conclusions on Discover Your Mind.”
What is most certain though is that when it comes to better understanding autism “Neuroscience Needs Physics”, and the two need to work together.
Taken from his blog, Bushy describes how his theories of time perception can impact upon the child with autism. He says:
‘When the brain of an autistic child develops too quickly the whole scenario around him changes. Everything around him which was supposed to be transpiring at a very slow rate is now happening way too fast for him to comprehend, literally stripping precious time from his mind. Our every move, sound and even touch would become no less than terrifying for his now almost adult mind still in dire need of relevant data to help him make sense of the world around him.’
Bushy goes on to add that it is very important for these children to be kept away from any fast actions such as those in computer games but especially from cartoons for the simple reason that its moving too fast.
‘Parents should also learn to do everything at a much slower pace enabling the child the opportunity to follow. And yet, this is only the tip of the iceberg which certainly is not a thumb suck theory but 25 years of painstakingly analysis of all of our perceived realities.’
Clayton told us that Bushy’s mind works like a super computer and that he will no doubt take the scientific community by surprise with everyone wondering “where has this man been hiding?”
Clayton ends by telling us that the show hopefully will find:
“answers to what the many esteemed scientists in the world have not been able to accomplish, answering the “Hard Question” “Where does consciousness come from and how does it happen”. We do not offer medical advice but surely as this theory is shared it will become obvious that its applications can offer new novel approaches to research, open new doors of academic study for future generations and change the perception of autism forever.”
The show will premier on August 15 and if you are interested in keeping updated on the show please follow The Autism Channel’s Facebook or Twitter page and they will keep you updated on the premier date.
Autism Daily Newscast would like to thank Clayton for taking the time to chat with us and we wish him and Bushy huge success with Discover Your Mind.
The full Audio podcast of Bushy’s interview with Autism Parenting Magazine can be heard here
Bushy’s blog, I’m Autistic Too, can be viewed here