Are you curious how and why you chose your dominant hand?

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. This article introduces an innovative theory that consistently explains all the findings and methodologically reviews the variables that determine the dominant hand. 

The full article (in the attached link at the bottom) presents a concept in which 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.

Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, and Alan Turing were left-handed.

Coincidence? Of course not! The right hemisphere is responsible for creativity and intuitive thinking.

Introduction to hand dominance.

Left-handers, who are more adept at using their left hand than their right, make up about 10% of the global population. However, this percentage varies significantly across countries and cultures, highlighting the diversity and complexity of this trait.

Here are some key facts about left-handers. Below, I will detail one by one how the model I propose explains them all.

Key statistical facts:

1. A dominant hand can often be noticed when children develop independent motor abilities. It is estimated that from the age of 18 months onwards.
2. Genetics impact left-handedness: according to studies, those born to two right-handed parents have a 2% chance of being left-handed; with mixed parents, the probability increases to 17%, while with two left-handed parents, the probability reaches 46%.
3. Men are more prone to left-handedness than women. (about 50%)
4. There is high variation between different countries and cultures. At the top of the list are the Netherlands, the United States, Canada, England, and Western European countries, with levels ranging from 10% to 13% of the population compared to them, and at the bottom, India, Japan, and China, with levels ranging from 3.5% to 5.2% left-handers of the population.
5. The dominant hand (or leg) phenomenon is also recognized in other mammals. In chimpanzees, the ratio is almost identical between right-handers and left-handers. About 70% of dogs are right-handed, while cats' situation is the opposite.
6. Studies consistently show that geniuses have a percentage of left-handed heights. The data is very striking in almost all areas. Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, and Alan Turing, some of the greatest scientists of all time, were left-handed. There are endless lists of left-handed artists, painters, scientists, and U.S. presidents. The list leaves no room for doubt!
7. Studies show that the percentage of left-handers in the population is dynamic and subject to change. In England, for example, the proportion of left-handers rose steadily throughout the 20th century, from about 3% to about 12% today. In China, the rate was much lower than today, about 3.5%, until a few decades ago, it was just over 1%.
8. Left-handedness is also present in the legs but is felt mainly in various sports.
9. The fact that among the LGBT community, especially gays and lesbians, there are very high rates of left-handedness has created a lot of confusion, with attempts to link the phenomenon to heredity.
10. The phenomenon of two-handedness, an ambidexter who controls both hands equally, is familiar but not widespread. The brain can replace the active hand in those who have become ill or have been injured.

Continue reading: The dominant hand theory of brain processing optimization.