Are you left handed or right handed?

Neily at the peak · Post by **Neily at the peak** » 26 Jun 2008, 20:43

I was listening to radio 4 the other day and there was an article on about left handed and right handed people. Apparently 4 out of the last 6 American presidents have been left handed. And both of the current candidates are as well. One explanation given was that due to an enlarged corpus colossum left handers are more able to adjust their beliefs in accordance with new information. So I've been wondering what proportion of powerswitchers might be left handed.

Neil

skeptik · Post by **skeptik** » 26 Jun 2008, 20:55

Neily at the peak wrote: One explanation given was that due to an enlarged corpus colossum left handers are more able to adjust their beliefs in accordance with new information.

As a right hander I have a hard time adjusting my beliefs to accept that, and with the evidence of the last 6 US presidents and Hillary Clinton, doubly so.

(don't know enough about B.Obama to comment)

Pip Tiddlepip · Post by **Pip Tiddlepip** » 26 Jun 2008, 21:28

A proud Southpaw here...only one in my family, too. I understand a higher proportion of gay people are left handed than straights. I wonder if more bisexuals are ambidextrous?

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 26 Jun 2008, 21:34

Pip Tiddlepip wrote:I understand a higher proportion of gay people are left handed than straights. I wonder if more bisexuals are ambidextrous?

Or maybe bigamists . . .

Keela · Post by **Keela** » 26 Jun 2008, 21:44

I'm right handed, but can write with my left & most wouldn't notice much difference.

My OH is left handed and we have 3 left handed daughters and a right handed son.

Watching the girls all learn to use a bread knive was.....

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 26 Jun 2008, 22:39

Watch Wimbledon: Southpaw Alley

! Apparently because the right hemisphere (which controls left side) also does distance and spatial judgements, giving a quicker route from eye to raquet for left-handers.

Might explain also why more righties than you'd expect, are left-footed on the pitch.

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 26 Jun 2008, 22:44

What's any of this got to do with energy or PO?

RevdTess · Post by **RevdTess** » 26 Jun 2008, 22:56

Vortex wrote:What's any of this got to do with energy or PO?

I assume the original hypothesis was that because we're all able to 'take on board new information' readily rather than sticking to the old paradigms, we're being tested to see if we have a statistically signficant number of left handers amongst our midst.

I'm very right-handed.

Kentucky Fried Panda · Post by **Kentucky Fried Panda** » 26 Jun 2008, 23:24

Rhubarb, there have been more lefties in the white house because that is the hand of the devil, ask any Jesuit...

OrraLoon · Post by **OrraLoon** » 27 Jun 2008, 07:41

Tess wrote:
Vortex wrote:What's any of this got to do with energy or PO?
I assume the original hypothesis was that because we're all able to 'take on board new information' readily rather than sticking to the old paradigms, we're being tested to see if we have a statistically signficant number of left handers amongst our midst.

I'm very right-handed.

Left-footed but right-handed. So maybe at some point I've taken on board a new paradigm or achieved some kind of synthesis.

stumuz · Post by **stumuz** » 27 Jun 2008, 08:44

Mrs Stumuz did her dissertation on left handedness.

All societies, religion and language are predicated on the extermination of left handers, if killing them was outlawed then they would be linked with the devil.

The word sinister comes from the Latin word sinister which means ?left?
The word correct comes from the Greek to mean ?on the right?
The dictionary has hundreds of words with right, but very few with left. Legal right, right to fight etc.
There are more than 1600 references in the bible in praise of the right hand. Many legends associate misfortune with the left, such as throwing salt with the right hand over the left shoulder to throw it in the face of the devil who resides there. In medieval times all left handed women were burned as witches.

Most societies have a about 11% born left handed people, but the amount of people who survive into adulthood varies as different countries either kill or beat left handedness out. In Britain before 1910 there was only 3% left handed.

The discrimination imbedded about left handedness is still in operation; more left handers are killed or injured at work because the world is orientated right. Clocks are right, dishwashers are designed for right handers, everything in the world is of the right. We drive on the left because before cars when we passed strangers on the road we liked to keep a sword in our right hand to defend ourselves. France drives on the right because Napoleon was left handed.
In the workplace the most dangerous machines are designed for right handers, so if you are using a drill, saw etc you either have to use the wrong hand or your bring your lateral hand over or across the blade etc to operate the machine.

Employers are legally required to protect your safety at work. Larger companies will have to do welfare risk assessments on menopausal and post menopausal women because the recommended thermal comfort zones don?t suit them.
However you do not have to do a risk assessment on the higher hazard of being left handed in a right handed workplace.

There are studies at UCL at the moment trying to link left handedness with over representation in all groups, such as proportionately more artists, geniuses, lawyers, murderers and rapists are left handed.

What has this got to do with PO?

It shows societies have always liked to get a small number from within, blame them, drive them out or kill them and always will.

oilslick · Post by **oilslick** » 27 Jun 2008, 09:06

Tess wrote:
Vortex wrote:What's any of this got to do with energy or PO?
I assume the original hypothesis was that because we're all able to 'take on board new information' readily rather than sticking to the old paradigms, we're being tested to see if we have a statistically signficant number of left handers amongst our midst.

I'm very right-handed.

It could just be that we're all miserable gits

PS_RalphW · Post by **PS_RalphW** » 27 Jun 2008, 09:33

I posted a bit of both, I write with the right, play badminton with the left.

Tools I use with either.

Apparently, about one in ten spiral staircases in medieval castle ascend anti-clockwise, so that they can be defended by left handed swordsmen.

Andy_K · Post by **Andy_K** » 27 Jun 2008, 11:08

I'm left handed, but my handwriting is such that most right-handers can write more neatly with their left hand than I can

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 27 Jun 2008, 11:14

I'm a right-handed lefty.

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