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Why Are Some People Left-Handed?

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6 March 2017

By Bronwen

Left-handers have never really had an easy time in this right-handed world. Historically, they’ve been persecuted for years and compared to the Devil, who is apparently left-handed himself. It was always unclear why some people are left-handed but scientists think they might have worked it out.

According to research, it’s much less to do with the brain than it is with the spine and the way it transmits electrical impulses.

A team of scientists from Ruhr University Bochum have been analysing the developing spinal cords of unborn babies between week 8-12. Interestingly, a preference towards the left or right hand begins in the womb from the 8th week. In short, an asymmetry in the brain is what causes this left-handedness.

The causes are thought to be environmental factors rather than genetic. It seems that what happens while a baby is in the womb will determine whether or not the baby will be left-handed. The specific environmental factors are still unknown but even so, the spine vs brain evidence is a huge discovery and could help us further our currently minuscule understanding of the human brain.

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