Imagine a situation in which the brain had to decide which hand to use in every motor action of the arms and legs. (When it comes to an operation in which only one hand is required), the brain would collapse under the load. The article in the link below introduces an innovative theory that consistently explains all the findings and methodologically reviews the variables that determine the dominant hand.
The dominant hand results from optimizing the brain's resource management.
Determining the dominant hand is not a random process but a continuous process of experimentation and measurement, which is very sophisticated and aims to save brain processing resources. The logical explanation is quite simple, but the execution is complex and takes an average of about two years from birth. Link: The dominant hand theory of brain processing optimization.
- We don't notice it, but reading and thinking are also being optimized. It is possible to read, letter after letter, to complete words, which is very slow, but we often take pictures of words and compare them to the memory pool. The method is usually suitable only for the language in which we are well fluent.
- Thinking also has two paths, one very fast and the other slower and more precise. We use both methods without realizing it. The brain must self-optimize, or it will collapse.
- The fact that many geniuses were left-handed, far exceeding their share of the population, fascinated science, which developed different theories. Still, none of them were consistent with all the findings.
Existing theories of left-hand dominance link the phenomenon to the brain's right hemisphere. The assertion is correct, but without explanations as to why, the theories are incomplete. The fact that the dominant left hand is necessarily related to the right brain is not a novelty. The problem is that no model has consistently explained the many findings.
Nikola Tesla, James Clerk Maxwell, Pierre and Marie Curie, and Alan Tiring were left-handed.
Many geniuses in science, math, art, and technology were left-handed. Coincidence? Of course not.
Optimizing resources is nothing new in nature.
It exists everywhere, starting with the golden ratio and golden angle, insect eyes in hexagons, and more. Without optimization, we would waste a lot of energy, which is essential for our existence and is also the basis of this theory.
When we perform motor activities, we do not notice the complex actions the brain requires to perform at millisecond speeds.
- In a fraction of a second, the brain must decide whether to reach out one hand or two. The brain decides whether one hand is enough, and if so, it will always prefer the dominant hand.
- If we assume that you are sitting down to eat, the glass is actually to your left, and you are right-handed, you will probably hold the glass in your left hand.
- If, on the other hand, you play ball, the brain throws both hands into the approximate position.
- If the brain detects an action that requires two hands but in a different location, the dominant hand will perform the main action while the other hand assists in grasping.
- Simply put, every motor operation we perform requires very complex algorithms. Since many motor actions are required daily, saving resources is multiplied and has enormous significance, especially throughout life.
- The fact that blind people from birth also have a dominant hand proves that this is a brain decision, which is not only related to vision.
- The model I propose is relatively simple in its principles but emphasizes the enormous complexity of brain activity and nerve conduction speed, which are directly related to the subconscious mind. Continue reading: The dominant hand theory of brain processing optimization.
Using a dominant hand has occupied many scientists who try to explain the phenomenon, each from a different angle: genetic, environmental, social, competitive advantage, and more. However, none of the theories are consistent with all the findings.
