|
|
Post by Cybermortis on Aug 6, 2013 16:50:31 GMT
Picking up from a random comment from The Light Works in the thread 'Medieval Madness'.
The story goes that left handed people have an advantage when it comes to certain activities, such as tennis and fighting. I've heard two 'scientific' explanations for this;
Left handed people have faster reactions due to the way the brain is wired, which means that the nerve paths are shorter in left handed people than right handed people.
Left handed people have an advantage simply because opponents are not used to shots/blows coming from that direction.
I'm wondering if there IS any real difference between left and right handed people, and if so which of the two explanations might be correct?
Is there a way to turn this into a viable segment for the show, or other myths about left handed people that could be tested on the show?
|
|
|
|
Post by the light works on Aug 6, 2013 17:08:07 GMT
Picking up from a random comment from The Light Works in the thread 'Medieval Madness'. The story goes that left handed people have an advantage when it comes to certain activities, such as tennis and fighting. I've heard two 'scientific' explanations for this; Left handed people have faster reactions due to the way the brain is wired, which means that the nerve paths are shorter in left handed people than right handed people. Left handed people have an advantage simply because opponents are not used to shots/blows coming from that direction. I'm wondering if there IS any real difference between left and right handed people, and if so which of the two explanations might be correct? Is there a way to turn this into a viable segment for the show, or other myths about left handed people that could be tested on the show? Its a good question. I doubt it comes from being inherently faster or better. in the case of the fighting, it was because I was used to being a lefty facing right handed people - they weren't necessarily used to facing a lefty - and the fact that I used nontraditional styles added to that. |
|
|
|
Post by OziRiS on Aug 6, 2013 18:45:46 GMT
I've also heard that left handed people are supposed to be more creative than right handed people.
A suggestion has been made that this myth came from the fact that many of Hollywood's most famous actors are lefties.
|
|
|
|
Post by GTCGreg on Aug 6, 2013 19:57:17 GMT
My mom always told us kids that left handed people were more intelligent than right handed people. Of course, she was left handed. Then my youngest sister came along and she was left handed. Threw that theory out the window.
|
|
|
|
Post by ironhold on Aug 6, 2013 20:15:27 GMT
One possible way to do it may be to have right-handed crew and team members square off against right-handed people in particular events and then try their luck again against left-handed people, then get their feedback concerning both incidents.
|
|
|
|
Post by Lex Of Sydney Australia on Aug 7, 2013 4:15:20 GMT
There’s an old office saying – if you want to be amused for hours on end, then hire a left handed receptionist & dictate a letter & watch them try to write.
|
|
|
|
Post by Cybermortis on Aug 7, 2013 11:40:32 GMT
One possible way to do it may be to have right-handed crew and team members square off against right-handed people in particular events and then try their luck again against left-handed people, then get their feedback concerning both incidents. They'd need to take into account the amount of experience or familiarity individuals have in a certain task or similar ones. Likewise they'd need to take into account how often someone might have to directly compete against a left handed person. |
|
|
|
Post by Cybermortis on Aug 7, 2013 17:35:20 GMT
Ok, found a couple of sites that list some myths about left-handed people along with some 'facts'. Culling those related to luck and religion/the supernatural gives us; "Left-handed people are generally high achievers because their brains are wired to widen their abilities." "According to research most left-handers are intelligent and have higher IQ scores compared to right-handers." "They have a higher level of creativity." "Many left-handers generally end up in architectural fields because of their higher level of spatial perception." "most sufferers of dyslexia and speech deformation are usually left-handers." "In a twist on the genetic model, the gene for hand preference might also be the gene for hair whorl direction, the way a person's hair turns on the top of their head. Half of people with counterclockwise whorls prefer their left hand, according to research by Amar Klar at the National Cancer Institute. " "Left-handed persons use visual stimuli to process information. Research reveals that people who are left-handed do not use the sequential processing style to disseminate information, like their right-handed colleagues. Instead, they are good at applying themselves to multiple tasks with the help of the synthesis method of breaking down information and finding a solution." "Studies have shown that left-handers are more likely to have allergies than right-handers - aahtishoooo!!" "Most left-handers, when drawing figures face them to the right." *edit* "Left handers have better/neater handwriting*" "Left handers are more clumsy than right handers" (*If you write left handed you are much more likely to smear ink over the page, since your hand is moving across what you just wrote. I know this from an old friend who was left handed, and explained that this was why he didn't use a fountain pen for writing even though he collected them.) melpor.hubpages.com/hub/Lefties-The-Myths-and-The-Factswww.lefthander.com/myths.htmwww.buzzle.com/articles/myths-and-facts-about-left-handed-people.htmlwww.anythinglefthanded.co.uk/lh-info/myths.html#sthash.CpKpilFk.dpbsNow how do we test these ideas? |
|
|
|
Post by the light works on Aug 8, 2013 4:17:04 GMT
Ok, found a couple of sites that list some myths about left-handed people along with some 'facts'. Culling those related to luck and religion/the supernatural gives us; "Left-handed people are generally high achievers because their brains are wired to widen their abilities." not necessarily"According to research most left-handers are intelligent and have higher IQ scores compared to right-handers." plausible  "They have a higher level of creativity." I think so"Many left-handers generally end up in architectural fields because of their higher level of spatial perception." I AM in construction - but my brother is in computers."most sufferers of dyslexia and speech deformation are usually left-handers." no reference."In a twist on the genetic model, the gene for hand preference might also be the gene for hair whorl direction, the way a person's hair turns on the top of their head. Half of people with counterclockwise whorls prefer their left hand, according to research by Amar Klar at the National Cancer Institute. " new to me, but it seems plausible."Left-handed persons use visual stimuli to process information. Research reveals that people who are left-handed do not use the sequential processing style to disseminate information, like their right-handed colleagues. Instead, they are good at applying themselves to multiple tasks with the help of the synthesis method of breaking down information and finding a solution." I don't multitask well - but that may be because I'm male."Studies have shown that left-handers are more likely to have allergies than right-handers - aahtishoooo!!" doesn't bear out in my family."Most left-handers, when drawing figures face them to the right." I'd have to dig up my old sketches to confirm or deny that. it seems plausible, though. it might be because it is easier to draw from that angle.*edit* "Left handers have better/neater handwriting*" busted."Left handers are more clumsy than right handers" I don't see a correlation.(*If you write left handed you are much more likely to smear ink over the page, since your hand is moving across what you just wrote. I know this from an old friend who was left handed, and explained that this was why he didn't use a fountain pen for writing even though he collected them.) I loved eraseable pens until halfway through the first line of text. my hand was blue all the way through that era.melpor.hubpages.com/hub/Lefties-The-Myths-and-The-Factswww.lefthander.com/myths.htmwww.buzzle.com/articles/myths-and-facts-about-left-handed-people.htmlwww.anythinglefthanded.co.uk/lh-info/myths.html#sthash.CpKpilFk.dpbsNow how do we test these ideas? |
|
|
|
Post by silverdragon on Aug 8, 2013 9:24:25 GMT
The word Sinister has its origins in left handed.
[Edit, it originally MEANT left handed, but now has had its meaning changed... SD, the day after, for clarity sake...]
Going back into myth and legend, left handed people were viewed as "In league with the devil", and being left handed was at one point evidence enough to prove you were a witch. and warlocks to the men witches out there as well...
Therefore, the main reason that there are less left handed people than right in recent history is because of persecution. (Recent, last millennium etc...)
Therefore, in conclusion, surviving left handers either were VERY good at hiding it, or more often indispensable to the community...
Its a survivalist thing...
So, are there less stupid left handers?... quite possibly yes... you have to have some form of intelligence to work left handed in a world populated by right handed can openers....
Certainly left handers in history either learnt to adapt or died.
I would have been fully ambidextrous if it were not for persecution and punishment by teachers who DEMANDED that "You wrote with your right"
Some of he "Myths" that are covered above are partly based on a questionable form of racism....
Suggestion, In belief that supremacy comes from fault of the underclass, the "Faults" found with being left handed were perpetrated by people needing reason to persecute left handers....?...
Plausible?....
|
|
|
|
Post by Cybermortis on Aug 8, 2013 13:28:40 GMT
The percentage of left handers in populations has remained constant, not just in recent history but as far as can be told throughout history. On average about 10% of a given population is left handed, although there are regional variations - in Japan the figure is 13%.
This seems to imply that either left handed people were not 'persecuted' (beyond name calling), or left-handedness isn't a genetically inherited trait.
It has been noted that this myth probably comes from left handed people having to use tools made for right handers. A viable test for this might be simply to get right handed people to use tools made for left handed users.
|
|
|
|
Post by the light works on Aug 8, 2013 13:41:09 GMT
The percentage of left handers in populations has remained constant, not just in recent history but as far as can be told throughout history. On average about 10% of a given population is left handed, although there are regional variations - in Japan the figure is 13%. This seems to imply that either left handed people were not 'persecuted' (beyond name calling), or left-handedness isn't a genetically inherited trait. It has been noted that this myth probably comes from left handed people having to use tools made for right handers. A viable test for this might be simply to get right handed people to use tools made for left handed users. actually, the percentage of lefties is increasing - lending credence to persecution theories (though I think persecution in elementary school is the most significant) |
|
|
|
Post by silverdragon on Aug 9, 2013 8:31:41 GMT
Increase in those who ARE ledt handed, or increase in those who openly admit to left handed?... May I suggest some people are closet left handed and it is not recorded correctly....... maybe because of educational pressure or even parental pressure.......... Same as I experienced... I believe there is a lot of left-handed people who are "Educated" to be right handed by draconian scholl [incorrect school  ] practise... especially anyone of my generation and above (Anyone around 50 and older). ...thinks, Or even younger than 50, because as far as I was aware, this didnt fade out overnight?... it may affect people even as young as 40 or 30?... is it STILL happening elsewhere?... anyone care to hazard an educated guess on that, or has anyone experienced sinister racism?... Even IF you were confirmed dyed in the wool leftie, you write with your right, its school law. A smack upside the heed or across the knuckles with a steel ruler confirmed that you broke that rule. How many lefties have been affected that way?... I believe I may have been. I think my Ambidexterity is me self-educating a left-handed nature to use the right when needed as well as retaining natural left handed?... Without being educated to be right handed, would I have been left handed?... And yes, I do write with my right, because it was the only way I was ALLOWED to learn.......... So was I ever truly left handed, and was it education that forced me to learn right?... or fear of persecution from family?... I cant ask as I doubt I would get the truth on that matter from older generation. And again, now there is no persecution, the generations of left handed genes are getting back to normal. Personally, I dont think the "Artistic" tag for lefties works, along with other suggestions, reason being, taking artistic as an example, I think its more a case of an artist with talent is noticed, but one with talent AND leftie makes "News", you know how it is on a slow news day, they would "Report" on a cat that barks like a dog, so a leftie with any artistic skill is as good as that. Clumsy?.. again, a leftie with right handed tools, is a Right handed person with leftie designed tools as bad?... or is it just that leftie making mistakes is noticed MORE because they are leftie?... Suggestion, put Camera;s in a wood-shop or something similar, for a week or two, one in a leftie designed shop for a leftie person and one in a right handed shop for a non sinister person..... Of course, the two people must be of the same skill level?... Count the occasional oops to full blown [censored], and compare. Got a feeling that the longer that one runs the more equal the statistics are going to be. As for the educational correction of Leftie.... the smack with the ruler if you write left handed... Is it STILL happening anywhere?.... This is VERY recent history then?..... Are sinister people still persecuted in some parts of the world?... |
|
|
|
Post by Cybermortis on Aug 9, 2013 12:39:08 GMT
Deliberately trying to get accidents with power tools. I can hear Lawyers in SF rubbing their hands together in anticipation of the resulting law suites.
It is no myth that there are a lot of accidents from left-handed people trying to use tools designed for right-handed users. Nor is it a myth that some of these accidents result in fatalities. In fact an old episode of CSI Vegas had a left-handed man accidentally killing a friend and himself because he was using a chainsaw and lost control.
I somehow doubt that MB is going to consider doing testing with anything that could cause injury.
|
|
|
|
Post by the light works on Aug 9, 2013 13:39:57 GMT
Deliberately trying to get accidents with power tools. I can hear Lawyers in SF rubbing their hands together in anticipation of the resulting law suites. It is no myth that there are a lot of accidents from left-handed people trying to use tools designed for right-handed users. Nor is it a myth that some of these accidents result in fatalities. In fact an old episode of CSI Vegas had a left-handed man accidentally killing a friend and himself because he was using a chainsaw and lost control. I somehow doubt that MB is going to consider doing testing with anything that could cause injury. I don't use a specially designed left handed chain saw. The one thing I have found to be hand specific is a circular saw (skilsaw) I work better using a saw with the blade on the right of the motor, because I naturally hold the trigger grip in my left hand and I can see the cut without trying to look through the motor. |
|
|
|
Post by OziRiS on Aug 9, 2013 20:09:07 GMT
@ SD: I'm close to 30 and I've never heard of anyone in Denmark being persecuted for being lef handed in my lifetime. I know it was done when my parents went to school in the 60's and 70's, but I think it died out in the 80's along with a lot of other arcaic beliefs. As you noted, the word "sinister" litterally means "left" in the original latin. How the word became synonymous with "evil", I don't know, but that's where all the persecution of lefties came from. People used to think that your left hand was connected directly to the devil, so if you were left handed, the devil had possesed you. IIRC many muslims still believe this, but I don't know if any other societies still do too. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that there are some places in the Bible Belt across the pond where they still uphold that belief as well though. Since the Danes haven't been all that religious for the past 50 years we've come to the conclusion that the old thought of lefties being "evil" or "wrong" is just silly old superstition and have abandoned it completely, so at least here you'd be safe  |
|
|
|
Post by Cybermortis on Aug 9, 2013 20:24:47 GMT
It is mentioned in the Bible a few times. You can probably blame the Greeks for the belief that the left hand side was 'evil', as that is what they thought. The Roman's originally considered the left side to be 'good'. Then decided to copy the Greeks - which they did rather a lot - and made the left the 'evil' side. That or one of their oracles foresaw the creation of Microsoft...Bill Gates is after all left handed... |
|
|
|
Post by OziRiS on Aug 9, 2013 20:33:41 GMT
Or the movie "Ghost Rider". Nicolas Cage is left handed too and that movie SUCKED!!!  |
|
|
|
Post by the light works on Aug 10, 2013 0:12:59 GMT
in heraldry, a "bend sinister" (a diagonal from left to right) denoted a person of irregular parentage - and they were often considered to be unsavory sorts of people in stories and such - which is the origin of referring to unsavory people as sinister.
the arabic world has a much more direct issue with lefties - it is common practice to use the right hand for sanitary pursuits, like eating, and the left for unsanitary pursuits, like cleaning after the natural conclusion of eating.
|
|
|
|
Post by User Unavailable on Aug 10, 2013 2:43:48 GMT
in heraldry, a "bend sinister" (a diagonal from left to right) denoted a person of irregular parentage - and they were often considered to be unsavory sorts of people in stories and such - which is the origin of referring to unsavory people as sinister. the arabic world has a much more direct issue with lefties - it is common practice to use the right hand for sanitary pursuits, like eating, and the left for unsanitary pursuits, like cleaning after the natural conclusion of eating. Here is an article on Muslim "left hand" and bathroom practices and the author is a left handed Muslim. Article |
|
] practise... especially anyone of my generation and above (Anyone around 50 and older).
