Temple Grandin’s star continues to rise

Temple Grandin – a Colorado State University animal scientist, autistic woman and global force for food-animal welfare – is the subject of an “Ingenious Minds” episode airing on the Discovery Science Channel at 8:30 p.m. MT on Thursday.

The episode follows Grandin through a day in Fort Collins as she teaches a livestock-handling class in the College of Agricultural Sciences; visits the CSU Agricultural Research, Development and Education Center, where many of her innovations are showcased; and interacts with horses at her ranch near town. The show also has a neurological focus with expert analysis of Grandin’s brain scans.

The “Ingenious Minds” episode is the latest in a series of high-profile explorations of Grandin’s captivating life, discoveries and impact on the worlds of food production and autism. The acclaimed HBO biographical feature film, “Temple Grandin,” was released in 2010; the CSU phenom then was listed among the Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World.”

Grandin says her autism gives her visual thinking abilities that have allowed her unique insights into animal behavior. With these insights, Grandin has designed humane livestock-handling technologies adopted by some of the world’s largest food producers, processors and retailers. Her successes have made her a hero to people with autism and their families.

Viewers who don’t receive the Discovery Science channel may access online streaming of the “Ingenious Minds” episode at http://science.discovery.com/tv/ingenious-minds/.

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