10+ Scientific Facts About Lefties You Probably Didn’t Know

In the past, performing activities such as eating, drawing, gesturing or greeting with the left hand was not very well regarded, even though these gestures happened instinctively. Often the act was considered strange and in some situations it was seen as an evil sign. Luckily, times have changed and science has started to research what is behind the predominant use of one side of the body. The results of different surveys made this discussion even more interesting.

Today the awesome.club will show that using right or left limbs is much more than a simple choice. Check it out and don’t miss the bonus at the end of the post!

In April 2020, a very ambitious study was published on the left-handed world. According to him, at least 10.6% of people worldwide are left-handed.

The percentage varies from 9.3% to 18% depending on the region. But it is curious to realize that in some cultures this condition is still considered a genetic trait related to evil. This is why some left-handed people are still called sinister and it is also why in some parts of the world people prevent children from being left-handed.

In Pakistan, a study was carried out with students of different ages to confirm or definitively rule out the theory that left-handers are more intelligent. In the group, 50% were right-handed and 50% were left-handed.

After carrying out tests, it was found that regardless of the level of education, people who predominantly used their left hand showed higher intelligence, as this was confirmed by better academic performance (in most cases).

Using the limbs on one side of the body is related to the development of a cerebral hemisphere: right-handers use the left hemisphere and lefties use the right. But this general belief is still a target of criticism.

according to LA Timesa study conducted at the University of California (UCLA) in Los Angeles concluded that the brain of left-handed people works a little differently: while right-handed people use their left hemisphere more, people who use their left limbs more tend to have a brain that works more symmetrically, that is, left-handers use both hemispheres, which makes their minds more flexible.

Something curious about left-handers is that mastering the side that most people don’t master makes them better at performing some sports activities. This is because right-handed people are used to dealing with people and tools that are always the same, so they never have to face big challenges.

However, in everyday life, left-handed people have to deal with tools that are usually made for people who are essentially right-handed. Also, left-handed people tend to fight better and are faster than right-handed people.

It’s genetics that define whether a baby will be right-handed or left-handed. And we’re not talking about something simple, but about more than 40 aspects of DNA that determine the preference for one or the other side of the body.

If the parent is left-handed, the probability that the child is also left-handed is higher. However, genetics is not the only determinant, the environment and stimuli during pregnancy also influence and contribute to marking one or another trend.

The Planet has more right-handers than lefties, but the left-handed world is dominated by the male gender, as a man is 23% more likely to be left-handed than a woman, according to a study. This means that while 13% of men may have this condition, only 9% of women are affected.

Even within the right-handed population, men showed a greater tendency to develop the left side of the body in a secondary way. On the other hand, right or left-handed women hardly develop the side that is not predominant.

As mentioned earlier, genetics plays an important role when it comes to the predominant side, and there are several genes that influence this trait. One of them manifests itself in the swirl that many people have in their hair.

According to one study, the meaning of the whirlpool is related to whether a person is right- or left-handed. That is, if the hair grows to the left, it is very likely that the person will develop the left side, and vice versa.

A study published in Current Biology revealed that a kangaroo is more likely to be left-handed than in humans. This was observed by some Russian scientists who studied different breeds of the animal, including the red kangaroo, the gray kangaroo and the tree kangaroo.

The study also revealed that, regardless of race and gender, marsupials have a very marked tendency to develop activities with their left limbs.

We have already seen that 10.6% of people are left-handed, but the most curious thing is that they are not evenly distributed around the world. According to statistical data, the Netherlands is the region with the highest number of left-handers, followed by the United States.

The countries with the least left-handedness are Japan and China, with 4.7% and 3.5% of the population, respectively.

Kangaroos are not the only animals with a greater tendency to be left-handed, this genetic peculiarity also affects our pets. A study revealed that 63% of dogs tend to prefer the use of just one paw, while only 37% do not show a preference for just one side. About 32% of the dogs showed a preference for the right side and 31% for the left side.

When we looked at cats, 75% showed a preference for just one paw, versus 25% who use both paws interchangeably. It was also found that females tend to use the right side more than males.

In music, science, film and the arts in general there are a large number of left-handed people. Check out some of them:

Angelina Jolie, Sarah Jessica Parker, Tim Allen, David Bowie, Ben Stiller, Jennifer Lawrence, Owen Wilson, Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Tina Fey, Tom Cruise, Jim Carrey, Lisa Kudrow and many others.

How many left-handed people do you know? Have you ever tried to perform tasks with your hand that you don’t master? If you are left-handed, tell us a curious story that has happened to you!