Riddle #21 – What can you hold?

What can you hold in your right hand,

but never in your left hand?

CLICK TO REVEAL ANSWER

And while you’re here, check out these 10 facts about Left-Handedness…

Evolutionary Puzzle: The consistent presence of a left-handed minority across human populations and history poses an evolutionary puzzle, given that hand preference can have significant survival and reproductive consequences.

Animals: Left-handedness (or left-pawedness) is not exclusive to humans; it’s observed in animals like cats, rats, and even kangaroos, suggesting an ancient biological basis for handedness.

Sleep Disorders: Some studies have indicated that left-handers may be more prone to periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) during sleep compared to right-handers.

Pain Tolerance: Research has also explored pain perception among left-handers, with some studies suggesting that lefties might have a higher pain threshold than righties, though results aren’t fully conclusive.

U.S. Presidents: A disproportionately high number of U.S. Presidents have been left-handed, including Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and George H.W. Bush.

Military Leaders: Some famous military leaders, like Alexander the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte, were reputedly left-handed, which may have provided strategic advantages in combat situations.

Left-Handed Day: International Left-Handers Day is celebrated on August 13th, highlighting the uniqueness and differences of left-handers in a predominantly right-handed world.

Language Insights: In many languages, the word for “left” is associated with negative attributes. For example, in Latin, “sinistra” meant “left” but also “unlucky.”

Space Travel: Left-handed astronauts were once not allowed to travel to space during the early days of space exploration, as equipment and procedures were standardized for right-handers to minimize training and mission complexity.

Neanderthal Theory: Some scientists hypothesize that Neanderthals were predominantly left-handed due to the wear patterns on their teeth (from using tools with their left hands while processing materials with their mouths). This, however, is a topic of ongoing debate among anthropologists.


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