British scientists believe Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton may have suffered from Asperger syndrome — a form of autism.

The disorder causes deficiencies in social and communication skills and obsessive interests.

“Newton seems like a classic case. He hardly spoke, was so engrossed in his work that he often forgot to eat, and was lukewarm or bad-tempered with the few friends he had. If no one turned up to his lectures, he gave them anyway, talking to an empty room. He had a nervous breakdown at 50, brought on by depression and paranoia.

“As a child, Einstein was also a loner, and repeated sentences obsessively until he was seven years old. He became a notoriously confusing lecturer.”