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Many world-renowned scientists and artists had autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We suggest that the French mathematician and physicist Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) also had ASD. As a boy, he demonstrated his mastery of language, mathematics and science. He showed single-mindedness and obsessive interests in the pursuit of science in his younger years and later he pursued with religion with the same determination. Pascal neglected social interactions; he was cold and aloof and had an obsessive revulsion to any expression of emotional attachment. As shown by his funerary mask and the autopsy report Pascal had craniosynostosis (primary nonsyndromic oxycephaly) with atrophy of the right half of the face. Congenital facial asymmetry due to craniosynostosis has a genetic basis. This suggests that Pascal's facial deformity may betray his propensity to suffer from genetically determined diseases including ASD. Despite the intrinsic limitations of a diagnosis based only on biographical information, we surmise that Pascal had the three key symptoms (obsessive interests, difficulty in social relationship and problems in communicating) that characterize ASD individuals.

The brilliant painter, sculptor, architect and poem writer of the Italian Renaissance, Michelangelo Buonarroti (Fig. 1) documented his own life, habits and diseases [1]. Between 1508 and 1512, he painted the vault of the Sistine Chapel and described his demanding work in a poem addressed to Giovanni da Pistoia. Lying supine all day on a high scaffold, his head was bent forwards using muscle contractions and support for hours with paint dripping on his face [1]. After two years (1510), he had trouble with his eyes.