Mathletes, unite! Lefties take the crown in the maths department

Jun 19, 2017

Left-handed people don't have it easy.

From the dreaded pencil smudges they lived with in primary school to the awkward high-fives they're forced to endure, it's not easy being a leftie.

But perhaps the fact they're smarter – mathematically speaking – than right-handed folk may cushion the blow somewhat, right?

According to a research put forth by IFL Science, the right side of a left-handed individual's brain is larger which means their spatial awareness and mental representation of objects is pretty damn good.

Further to this, they have bigger corpus callosums – the area of the brain responsible for connecting the two brain hemispheres.

And what does this mean exactly? Well, it means they are generally capable of processing information at a much faster pace than their right-handed peers.

With the help of 2,300 students, researchers conducted a number of experiments and ultimately concluded that when it comes to mathematical problem-solving, left-handed people performed better than right-handed.

But if you're a right-handed person and feeling pretty put out right now, fear not. The folk behind the research are at pains to stress that only one-third of people with an overly developed right side of the brain are left-handed

This means that there are lots of right-handed people with a similar brain function, so you know, chin up.

Happy Left-Handed Day! Five ways left-handed folk are really great

Aug 13, 2016

by Amber Saunders

Previously labelled as sinister folk not to be trusted, left-handed people these days are somewhat more celebrated.

That and, despite living in a world that is very much designed for their right-handed counterparts – they have some pretty high-profile compatriots.

Yup, from Barack Obama, to Prince William and Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates – if you're more inclined to use your left hand then you're certainly in good company.

Here, SHEmazing brings you the FIVE really great reasons why it's actually the best:

1) You earn more money (if you're a man):

According to studies, left-handed males who have gone to university earn 13 percent more than their right-handed counterparts.

Although oddly the results are quite different for women: they earn 5 percent less than women who are right-handed.

2) Half of all cats are left-handed:

Anything from 10 – 30 percent of humans are left-handed (depending on where you are in the world and what research you look at) – but not so for felines.

Yes, 50 percent of cats are left-pawed, according to studies.

3) You're a natural leader:

Five of the last seven US presidents – Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George HW Bush, Ronald Reagan, and Gerald Ford – are or were left-handed.

They're well-represented in royal circles too, examples include Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, and Prince William.

4) You have to overcome adversity:

From birth, you're being trained to think outside the standard right-handed box – something which helps you develop all sorts of skills that in turn encourages you navigate better the challenges of life.

Indeed, a combination of environmental forces and neurobiology combine to make lefties predisposed to be trailblazers.

5) You see better underwater:

Bizarre but true: when you’re underwater left-handed folk see better. It's not quite clear why this is so, scientists think it has something to do with a different part of the brain being dominant in left-handed individuals.

Left handed

Mathletes, unite! Lefties take the crown in the maths department

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