Brain and Handedness

Tomorrow, August 13th, is International Left-hander's Day. Established in 1996, this yearly event celebrates left-handedness and is designed to raise awareness of the difficulties and frustrations left-handers may experience in a world designed for right-handers. I hope the left-handed population world-wide have a wonderful celebratory day. Some interesting studies have been published about left-handedness—related both to humans and to non-humans. Although males are more likely to be left-handed than females, the estimated percentage of left-handers continues to be steady around ten to twelve percent. One woman told me she was a holding out for a left-handed male with whom to partner because she had read that they have a thicker layer of cortex on the brain and a larger corpus callosum (the largest bridge that connects the two cerebral hemispheres). I wished her 'good luck.' The North American Zuni tribe was said to believe that left-handedness signified good luck. Reportedly the Incas thought left-handers were capable of healing and that they possessed magical abilities. Hmm-m. More in my next blog.