What do left handed people do

Scientist have long thought that being born left- or right-handed is determined by more activity in the left or right hemispheres of our brain during fetal development. But a new study suggests that gene activity in the spinal cord actually determines which hand will be dominant, long before the part of the brain responsible for movement — the motor cortex — is functionally linked to the spinal cord, and could have more to do with environmental factors than inherited genetic traits.

If you're a lefty or you've ever sat next to one at dinner, you know that elbow space can be at a premium. Lefties usually end up bumping their left elbow into their right-handed neighbor's elbow when they eat — not to mention spilling your drink when you collide with righties. Want to celebrate your southpaw status?

Consider visiting Left Hand, an unincorporated community in West Virginia. Unfortunately, however, there isn't a festival dedicated to left-handedness or even a Leftorium — the town was named after a nearby creek, Lefthand Run. The special day for southpaws was first observed in by the founder of Lefthanders International Inc. Campbell, and was created to raise awareness of the advantages of disadvantages of being a lefty in a predominantly right-handed world.

A study overseen by James Cook University Townsville veterinary lecturer Janice Lloyd found that almost 50 percent of dogs favored their left paws. Another fun fact? Kangaroos appear to be almost exclusively left-pawed. According to one Canadian study, women in their 30s and 40s were far more likely to have left-handed children than younger women.

A study of 2, college freshmen found that those whose mothers were aged 40 and over when they were born had more than twice the rate of left-handedness as those with moms who had them at 30 or younger. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission to support our work. Learn more. Lefties represent only 10 percent of the world's population, yet they've been such a fascination for so long that study after study has been conducted on what makes them so unique.

But while we now know that lefties are normal folks, history wasn't always so kind to our left-handed friends. In the Middle Ages, being a leftie was enough to get you accused of being a witch , and in the 18 th and 19 th centuries, left-handed children were forced to use their right hands in schools, which was dreadful - have you ever tried switching hands to write? It's not easy. Those biases persisted well into the 20 th century: In the s, the Soviet bloc even had official policies against lefties.

In tribute to our dear lefties and to make up for accusing them of witchcraft, here are some of their most endearing character traits. Lefties generally lead more stressful lives because they're existing in a world meant for right-handed people, so one way to be a better friend is to be extra accommodating. However, a recent UK study of unborn babies found that handedness might develop in utero.

About nine out of 10 unborn babies preferred to suck their right rather than their left thumb, and this hand preference was borne out later in life. The brain has two hemispheres, the left and the right.

Researchers into the brain once believed that handedness revealed which brain hemisphere was dominant. While some people use one hand exclusively for all tasks, others tend to swap depending on the activity; for example, some people write with their left hand but open jars with their right. It was once believed that a right-handed person has general dominance on the right side of their body, which means their favoured foot, eye and ear are also on their right side.

Many people may be right-handed but, for example, always take the first step with their left foot. Cross laterality is an ambidextrous mixture for example, being left handed but dominant in the right eye and foot. This may cause coordination difficulties. However, some sports such as gymnastics benefit from the distribution of brain dominance.

Research into cross laterality is ongoing. Since 90 per cent of the population is right-handed, left-handed people do experience some practical problems, including:. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. The abdominal muscles support the trunk, allow movement and hold organs in place by regulating internal abdominal pressure. People who run regularly seem to be susceptible to Achilles tendonitis.

Acromegaly is caused by an excess of growth hormone in adults, which causes the overgrowth of bones in the face, hands, feet and internal organs. Exercise can prevent age-related changes to muscles, bones and joints and can reverse these changes too.

Children of left-handed parents are more likely to be left-handed than children of right-handed parents. But because lefties are comparatively rare, most children of left-handed parents are right-handed. Cultural influences, environment, and prenatal exposures may also play a role in determining handedness. In psychology, for instance, intelligence may be described as possessing one or a combination of the following attributes:.

There are different theories of intelligence and ways to measure it, including the well-known intelligence quotient IQ tests. Some research has shown lefties may be more likely to develop certain conditions , including:.

Research shows left-handed people may have a lower risk of developing ulcers and arthritis. They may also recover more quickly from strokes. An older article in the American Journal of Psychology suggests that left-handed people may be better at divergent thinking, a thought process used to generate creative ideas. Hand preference is highly subjective and personal. Most people determine their handedness during childhood, sometimes with the help of a parent or caregiver.

If you happen to use one hand for about half of the activities and the other for the other half, you may be mixed-handed.

Many studies show mixed results when examining this complicated link, leading researchers to conclude that left-handed people are no smarter than their right-handed counterparts. Researchers say different sides of our brain perform different functions.

This may come into play for both right-handed and left-handed people. Another study has shown that people with schizophrenia are more likely to be left-handed. Is there a deeper connection?