Here's to the Lefties! Happy Left Hander's Day!

Today is International Left-Handers Day! First observed in 1976 by Dean R. Campbell, founder of the Lefthanders International Inc. The day was created to celebrate the uniqueness and differences of left-handers as well as to raise awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of being left-handed in a predominantly right-handed world. My dad and my brother are both left-handed, I have seen the struggles they had to deal with, particularly with writing. My dad writes in capital letters because his writing would be illegible if he were to write normally. On this day, I wanted to investigate the mechanics of a left-handed person, what about their brain is unique and what are the differences seen between left-handed and right-handed people. As well as the historical mistreatment of left-handed people and a highlight of famous lefties.

There are several theories as to the cause of handedness. Most theories focus on the brain’s division of labor is different. Other theories focus on genetics. Two left-handed people have a 26 percent change of having a left-handed child. Twin studies indicate that genetics explain about 25 percent of handedness with environmental factors explain the remaining 75 percent. Most children will show a hand preference by 4 years (48 months) when they are mostly likely to be engaged in writing and coloring activities (Fagard, 2005). The most current theory suggests that handedness is determined by the development of the spine in utero and not the brain (Dodgson, 2019). There are certain correlations between handedness and aspects in life. Such as intelligence. There is only a single point difference between IQ scores of right-handed and left-handed people. However, left-handed brains are structured differently in ways that allow processing of language, spatial relations and emotions in more diverse and creative ways (McManus, 2012). In health factors, left-handedness has been correlated with increased rates of neuropsychiatric and developmental disorders such as the autism spectrum disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and alcoholism.

Unfortunately, for centuries, left-handedness was an undesirable trait. Under the powerful influence of the Catholic Church, left-handed people were vigorously oppressed in medieval Europe. See as consorting with the devil, during the Inquisition and witch hunts, being left-handed was enough evidence for a woman to be labeled as a witch (Right Left). In the 18^th and 19^th centuries, brutal attempts were made to suppress left-handedness. A child’s left hand would be tied behind his back to discourage its use and even corporal punishment, if a child was caught using his or her left hand. I have heard stories of some schools still using this method in the mid-20^th century. The infamous Cesare Lombroso claimed that left-handedness was the mark of pathological behavior, savagery and criminality. It wasn’t until Paul Broca’s research in the 1860s did scientific interest in handedness begin (Right Left). Even today, many of the nicknames or slang for left handers are derogatory in nature. Everyone is familiar with southpaw, in Australia, left handers are referred to as “mollie dookers” which means having fits like a girl. In Belarus, the word for left handers is liewsha which means sneaky or mistrustful. In France, the word is gauche which means awkward or clumsy and in Italy, lefthanders are reference to as mancini or crooked or maimed.

There are been many famous people who were or are left-handed. In the political arena, several presidents have been left-handed including James Garfield, Harry S. Truman, and Ronald Reagan. In music, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie and Paul McCartney were all lefties. In baseball, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Ted Williams. Chef Gordon Ramsay is left-handed. Scientist Nikola Tesla was left-handed. It has been suggested the Albert Einstein was left-handed; however, there is no evidence he was. Bill Gates is a southpaw. It has been rumored that the famous Renaissance painter Michelangelo Buonarroti was left-handed. Queen Victoria wrote with her right hand but painted with her left. It is believed that she was forced to write with her right hand by her mother, Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Kent. Queen Victoria’s descendant, Prince William and his son, Prince George are also lefties.

In conclusion, left-handed individuals have a disadvantage with tools and products which are designed for right-handed people. They also have shown to have advantages in music, sports, science and math. They have suffered cruel treatment through the centuries, and it has only been recently that many companies have introduced modified their products for left-handed individuals. Even some of the slang terms for left-handed people show the cruel history and thoughts behind left-handedness. It was interesting to discover the famous individuals who are lefties. Let’s celebrate the lefties in our lives! Celebrate our uniqueness and differences because if we were all the same, life would be pretty boring. Here’s to you, lefties!

References

Dodgson, Lindsay. August 12, 2019. The reason some people are left-handed could have nothing to do with the brain. https://amp.businessinsider.com/why-some-people-are-left-handed-2018-1. Retrieved August 12, 2019.

Fagard, Jacqueline; Lockman, Jeffrey J. (2005). "The effect of task constraints on infants' (bi)manual strategy for grasping and exploring objects". Infant Behavior and Development. 28 (3): 305–315. Retrieved 11 August 2019.

McManus, Chris. April 14, 2012. Is It True That Left-Handed People Are Smarter Than Right-Handed People? Scientific American. Retrieved: 11 August 2019.

Right Left Right Wrong. History of Handedness. https://www.rightleftrightwrong.com/history_recent.html. Retrieved August 11, 2019.

Genesis: my thoughts and insights

The word Genesis comes from Greek meaning “origin.” It is the first book of the Tanakh of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. My goals for reading and writing about my thoughts and insights was not to be influenced by someone’s thoughts or interpretations, I am not reading the footnotes in my Bible. For the most part, I will also quote from the New International Version (NIV). For this post, I want to focus on the Creation story told in Genesis. The Creation story is a description of how God created the heavens and the earth. It is where a lot of atheists and nonbelievers will criticize believers for their belief that such a story is true.

To recap for those who may not be familiar with this Creation Story, Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:2 says that the earth was dark, formless and empty and God gave it form. The first day, God created light and created day and night. The second day, He created the sky to separate the waters below and the waters above. The third day He separated the lands from the sea. The fourth day He created two great lights in the sky. The sun would be the greater light for the day and the moon the lesser light for the night. These lights would be used to mark the seasons, days and years. On the fifth day, He created the creatures of the waters and the birds in the skies. On the sixth day, He created the creatures of the land. The livestock, other land animals and the wild animals. The last of the land creatures created was mankind. Man was created in the image or likeness of God to rule over the creatures of the sea, air and land. On the seventh, God rested and saw His good work.

As I read through Genesis, I hear the skeptics and scientists in my ear interjecting about the Big Bang. I know that many disagree with me but I believe that God began with the Big Bang and created the forces which formed the universe that can be seen through telescopes and from the pictures sent back from the space probes. Many would argue that the universe is a lot older than the Bible says it is. If you interpret it literally, sure it sounds that way. However, one day doesn’t necessarily mean 24 hours as we know it. One day to God can be billions of years to us. Yes, there are Christians who teach the literal 24 hour days of creation. However, I believe that the use of each day of creation is more to give an image of the process. He began and ended with created day and night and He stopped. Then He created the sky and stopped. And so and so on. I think the most important aspect of the Creation Story is the process in which God creates the heavens and the earth. Everything has a beginning and the universe has a beginning. The Bible doesn’t tell is how He created everything. It doesn’t say that the gathering rock and gravity, etc, etc. I don’t think it matters. All that matters is that God is the Creator.  

Another argument is that the Bible doesn’t account for dinosaurs. I’ve heard some skeptics says the Bible doesn’t mention dinosaurs but we have proof that dinosaurs existed, so the Bible can’t be true. Really? I think it does, it just doesn’t call them dinosaurs. Genesis 1:24 talks about livestock, wild animals and “those who move along the ground.” Many of the dinosaurs were animals which moved along the ground. The term “dinosaur” was coined in 1841 by Sir Richard Owen, an English biologist, comparative anatomists and paleontologists. Owen used the Modern Latin word dinosaurus which is a combination of the Greek words deinos (meaning terrible) and sauros (meaning lizard). The description of “creatures that move along the earth” sounds like many creatures including dinosaurs. Again, if you can take the premise that God created earth in the time that science has told us that the earth was formed, it’s very possible. And God may have also decided the time of the dinosaurs was over and sent the meteor, spread the diseases and started the evolution which dinosaurs are now the lizards and birds we know today.

Lastly, the creation of Adam and Eve. The creation of man and woman is actually told in two places. First, in Genesis 1:26-31 where God created man and woman in His image and blessed them. His command to them was to be fruitful and multiply. To fill the earth and rule over the animals of the waters, land and sky. The second is told is Genesis 2:4-23. When God made man from the dust of the ground and breathed into him “the breath of life and man became a living being” (verse 7). God gives man the Garden of Eden but realizes that it is not good for man to be alone. God puts man to sleep and from his rib he forms a woman (verses 21-22). Now, I hear the critics saying “what a minute? Men aren’t missing a rib or how can woman be from his rib?” I have two possibilities. Maybe Adam is the only man missing the rib and when he and Eve procreated, he had the DNA for the missing rib so all future men will have the rib. Second, I think the missing rib is a metaphor that men and women were met to be partners, working side by side. 

I know that many will read this and say I’m being too simple. And maybe I am. However, in Genesis, God has given a reason, an explanation for what we see. I see the earth, the universe and marvel at His Creation. I have watched plants grow from a tiny seed to a plant producing food. I believe that God has coded plants, animals and other forces of natures to behave the way they do. I also know that many people, Christians and skeptics alike are saying that faith and science can’t mix; however, I’ve just presented possibilities that says they can and are. There are many, many examples of famous scientists who are revered for their contributions were also believers in God. Sometimes when the explanation is too complex, we tend to tune it out. I’ll end with this question: scientists are consistently going back and forth about their theories of the universe and the laws of nature, so why do we take their word as solid truth and doubt God’s version of the events? 

Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo: a science adventure into space

Dr Dee Dee Dynamo’s Saturn Surprise by Oneeka Williams and illustrated by Valerie Bouthyette is an adventure story of Dr Dee Dee and her friends as the travel to Saturn to investigate the disappearance of its rings.

The story opens with Dee Dee and her friend, Lukas, attending an exhibit at the Positivity Planetarium when she learns that Saturn’s rings are gone! A mission to Saturn to investigate why. While on this journey, Dee Dee educates her friend and the readers about Saturn’s rings. She discusses the ring phase crossing when Saturn and the earth are aligned the rings appear to have disappeared. This events occurs every 14-15 years. The book also explains the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft which was sent to study Saturn in 1997. When Dee Dee arrives at Saturn, she learns that the rings are tired of being rings. Dee Dee helps them realize their importance to Saturn and helps them get back into place.

Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo’s Saturn Surprise is a fun, educational adventure which introduces science and problem solving to the readers. I loved that the author included a glossary of terms as well as a pronunciation guide. There are also Mommy Dynamo’s Discovery Questions in which the readers can be quizzed about what they learned in this adventure story. The illustrations are great, colorful and fun. I highly recommend this book for any school or family library.

Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo’s Saturn Surprise

is available on Amazon

on the Kindle for $2.99

and in hardcover for $14.95