HANDS!

Paws, claws, and talons are merely the metaphorical Dee Dee of "Dexterity's" Laboratory. Only the mammalian order of primates have developed true grasping hands. Hands are our predominant tools for physical manipulation of the environment. Though many animals also have opposable thumbs, our thumbs enabled complex tool use and important fine motor skills, such as writing. The emergence of a writing system coincided with man's transition from hunting and gathering to an agrarian lifestyle (and we quickly recorded how to brew beer!). Writing facilitated commerce through token economies such as money, gave ideas permanence, standardized language and transferred information to further groups of people, and organized higher order symbolic thought. Hands are used to read Braille and to communicate through complete sign languages. A simple thumbs up, middle finger, or a wave good-bye are only a few of the hand gestures of which we all infer meaning. Across the globe, hands speak tremendous volumes through physiological changes and unconscious nonverbal communication (Great article), but you should be responsible for which rude hand signals you use while traveling!

About a quarter of the motor cortex is devoted to controlling the hands. Left or right handedness is controlled by the opposite side of the brain, and is indicative of individual brain functioning. Michelangelo painted with both hands. The lengths of the bones in our fingers approximate a Fibonacci sequence. Fingernails grow about as much as the continents move every year. Fingerprints are permanent and unique to each person, making them dependable for personal identification. Palmistry is the (less dependable) practice of reading someone's life - past, present and future - from their hands. Chirophobia is the fear of hands. Polydactyly is the presence of extra fingers or toes. There are 174 words beginning with, 324 words containing, and 22 words ending with "hand." Also check out these "50 handy expressions about hands."

A newborn's grip is surprisingly strong, and most can actually support their entire weight. Handshakes initiate the beginning of most relationships. Sergei Rachmaninov's long and slender fingers were said to span an octave and a half on a keyboard, necessitating Igudesman & Joo to invent a most entertaining way to perform his piano music. Parts models can earn their living with their hands; some hands are worth $1,200 a day. Reflexologists apply pressure to relax fight-or-flight all across the body, using each hand's 73 reflex points. Lovers may want to give a more intimate hand massage. Holding hands continues to be a very comforting form of physical contact for those near the end of life, or even 1,500 years after life!

Thank you for reading my handiwork, no applause is necessary!