(Image source: 20th Century Fox)
BY JULIA CORDEROY
We’ve all heard the rumors about being a leftie--
they die sooner--
they’re more accident prone--
they’re unlucky.
Well, turns out, researchers have discounted those theories.
That’s according to The Wall Street Journal’s Emily Nelson - who analysed the existing literature on left-handedness.
But Nelson found that research does link left-handedness to an increased risk for schizophrenia and ADHD. But why? Researchers say it’s about which side of the brain a person favors. Newser explains...
“Typically, a person's brain has a dominant side; in righties, that side is usually the left hemisphere. But 30% of lefties exhibit right-hemisphere dominance or a distributed pattern of dominance, which could lead to the greater risk of brain disorders.”
On the plus side - using both sides of the brain may help lefties process language more effectively. One neuroscientist explains to ABC what this could mean for say - a left handed president.
“Nearly all right handers only use one side of the brain to process language - but there are some left handers who use both sides. It could explain Obama’s great gifts with language.”
Obama isn’t the only left-handed commander-in-chief. Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan and George Bush Senior are also members of the leftie club - along with Babe Ruth, Bill Gates, Pablo Picasso and Jimi Hendrix.
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