What's Left?

TL;DR

Left-handedness is rare but comes with certain advantages, such as increased creativity, while the world is facing a potential shortage of helium due to its limited production.

Transcript

Hey, Vsauce. Michael here. And today, we're going to talk about this. Just kidding. We're going to talk about this. Left. What's left? First of all, 90% of humans, regardless of culture or language are right-handed. And we choose a dominant hand before we've even left our mothers. That's right. When a baby inside its mother's womb is seen sucking i... Read More

Key Insights

• ↔️ Right-handedness is the norm among humans, with left-handedness being relatively rare.
• 🤗 The brain assigns specific tasks to different hemispheres and prefers efficiency, leading to the dominance of a specific hand.
• 😘 Left-handedness is associated with increased creativity but may also have potential associations with lower IQ scores and a higher proportion of schizophrenics.
• 🫲 Left-handed individuals have advantages in typing on QWERTY keyboards, as more English words can be typed using the left hand compared to the right.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why is left-handedness historically stigmatized?

Left-handedness has historically been stigmatized because the word "ambidextrous" refers to being good with both hands, suggesting that having two right hands is superior. Additionally, the Latin word "sinister" means "left," further contributing to negative connotations.

Q: Do left-handed people have any advantages?

Left-handed people may have advantages in terms of creativity and innovation. By utilizing both hemispheres of the brain, more novel connections are made, leading to greater creativity. This is evident in individuals such as Albert Einstein and several US presidents who were left-handed.

Q: Are there any disadvantages to being left-handed?

While left-handedness can provide certain advantages, left-handed or ambidextrous individuals may score lower on IQ tests on average. Additionally, a higher proportion of schizophrenics are left-handed, though it is important to note that being left-handed or ambidextrous does not determine brain functioning.

Q: Why is there a shortage of helium?

Helium is a gas lighter than air, and molecules of helium rise to the top of our atmosphere. Solar wind then carries them away, leading to their permanent loss. Concerns regarding the shortage of helium arise from its limited production through the radioactive decay process and the high demand for helium.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Most humans are right-handed, with a dominant hand chosen even before birth. Left-handedness is relatively rare across cultures and historically stigmatized.

• The brain assigns specific tasks to different hemispheres and prefers not to send too much information between them. This leads to a dominant hand preference.

• Left-handed people may exhibit different brain functioning, which can have both advantages and disadvantages, such as increased creativity but also potential associations with lower IQ scores and a higher proportion of schizophrenics.