BIONIC HANDS – part 3: Matthew Scott received the first hand transplantation (1999)

BIONIC HANDS – 1999: Matthew Scott got the first hand transplant! On january 24, 1999 Matthew Scott became the first man who received successful hand transplant. In 2009 Matthew was able to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his hand transplant. It was performed in Kentucky by a team of doctors from Jewish Hospital, the University of Louisville and Kleinert Kutz & Associates. Mr. Scott lost his dominant left hand on December 23, 1985 in a blast from an M80 firecracker. He is now independent in his activities of daily living, although admits that he had to relearn everything necessary with a prosthetic device to achieve independence. Before the hand transplant, Mr. Scott was using an Otto Bach myoelectric prosthetic device. SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • BIONIC HANDS: 12 Milestones for the bionic hand! • 2007: How the I-limb became a commercial product! • Motion Contron presents: the ‘Utah arm’! • Bionic Hands – part 1: Star Wars! • RAPHaEl – the air powered robotic hand!

THOM YORKE THUMBS – Radiohead musician Thom Yorke has a simian line! [hand crease]

• Tribute to the hands of Thom Yorke! • Famous simian line holders! Thom Yorke thumbs & the simian line… The simian line (a.k.a. ’simian crease’) is the most studied line of the human hand. Despite it’s associations with Down syndrome (+ a rainbow of other medical problems), quite a few famous people have the simian line. Radiohead’s leadsinger Thom York has a variant of the classic simian line in his right hand – an ‘incomplete simian crease‘. What do we know about the most ‘notorious’ of all hand lines? Having a simian line is not very uncommon at all: about 2% to 4% of the population has this rather remarkable hand line – though in Asia the percentages are higher up to above 10% in Chinese people. Rather remarkable – despite the strong links with various medical problems – some believe that the simian line can also be recognized as a ‘gift marker‘ which could relate to strong personality characteristics that bring stamina, intensity and strong concentration. More Thom Yorke thumbs of his simian line: - MORE FAMOUS HANDS & THUMBS - Another fascinating characteristic of the hands of Thom Yorke concerns his fingerlength: his ring finger is much longer than his pointer finger. Interestingly the long ring finger has historically been associated with musical abilities. Professor John Manning (Liverpool University) presented in 2000 a study which pointed out that the hands of male symphony musicians are characterised with a likewise combination: the low ‘digit ratio’ – of 2D:4D finger ratio (2D = index finger; 4D = ring finger). Quote from Professor John T. Manning’s book ‘digit ratio’ (page 121): “Sorell (1968) pointed out that musical ability has been linked with very long ring fingers for many years. He illustrated this with handprints from composers such as Alexander Tcherpenin and Edgar Varese, but the most powerful image he showed in this context was that of a cast of Franz Liszt’s right hand (Sorell 1968, 187). In this cast Liszt’s ring fingers is strikingly dominant in length, with the middle phalanx making up an apparently disproportionate part of the finger. These are anecdotal observations, but measurements of casts and photographs of the hands of eminent musicians may wel reveal very low 2D:4D ratios.” By the way, extreme digit ratios (finger lengths) are – just like the ’simian crease’ (Thom Yorke) and the ‘clubbed thumb’ (Megan Fox) – recognized as a ‘minor physical anomaly’ (MPA). SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • Famous simian line holders! • Hands of fame: the hand of 50+ famous people! • The Simian Line – a Facebook group • Megan Fox thumbs – the beauty queen has a minor physical anomaly!

DERMATOGLYPHICS – An introduction to the dermatoglyphs of the human hand!

Dermatoglyphics – a moment of science! The word ‘dermatoglyphics‘ was first coined by Harold Cummins in 1926, and refers to the study of the characteristics in the skin ridges of the hands and the feet. What are the most common dermatoglyphic characteristics? FINGERPRINTS: In most populations around the world is the ‘ulnar loop’ the most observed fingerprint pattern (see: the fingerprint of the pinky finger in the picture above). Loops are most frequently found on the little finger (and middle finger); loops are least frequently found on the pointer finger. In some Asian populations the ‘whorl’ (see: the fingerprint of the ring finger in the picture above) is more common than the ‘ulnar loop’. Whorls are more often seen on the thumb and ring finger. In population research usually the pointer finger demonstrates more variation than the the other fingers. For example the most common ‘ulnar loop’ is least often seen on the pointer finger, which often exhibits an other pattern such as: the ‘arch’, ‘tented arch’, ‘whorl’ or ‘radial loop’ (see: the pointer finger in the picture above). PALMAR DERMATOGLYPHICS: The variations in the dermatoglyphics of the handpalm are much more complex than the variations in the fingerprints. An important element concerns the presence of the ‘palmar triradii’ (see: a, b, c, d, and t in the picture above): normally each finger is featured with a palmar triradius – triradius t belongs to the thumb (the thumb mouse – a.k.a. as the ‘thenar’, or in palmistry: ‘mount of Venus’ could be recognized as the third phalange of the thumb). However, the number of palmar triradii varies with the presence of palmar ‘loops’ (or: palmar ‘whorls’). Usually the link between the number of fingers (D = digits), palmar triradii (T) and palmar loops (L) can be described with the following formula, which is known as the ‘Penrose topological formula‘ (Lionel Penrose, 1965): T = L + D – 1 More details available via: The history of research in fingerprints & dermatoglyphics – a review! Picture: example of a normal pattern of dermatoglypics [NOTICE: If the 'c-line' is ending between the ring- and middle finger it always creates a palmar 'loop', which implicates that the author of the picture has missed 6th palmar triradius between/below the c and d triradius]

DOWN SYNDROME – 27 Characteristics of the hand in trisomy 21!

Phantom picture of the hand in Down syndrome! In 1963 L.S. Penrose presented the first ‘phantom picture’ describing the typical hand characteristics in Down syndrome. More detailed ‘phantom pictures’ were presented by Schaumann & Alter (1976), Rodewald (1981). This month (2010) a more detailed updated version of the visualisation became available – featuring 27 characteristics of the hand in Down’s syndrome! What are the most common hand characteristics in Down syndrome? HAND LINES: A common characteristic is the presence of the famous ‘simian line‘; an alternative is the presence of a Sydney line. DERMATOGLYPHICS: Here one should especially notice the hypothenar zone of the hand (in palmistry a.k.a. ‘mount of moon’); usually this zone a large ‘ulnar loop’ pattern combined with a high positioned palmar axial triradius. HAND SHAPE: Short fingers (thumb and pinky finger are often abnormally short) + a square shaped palm. NOTICE: The author of the new ‘phantom picture’ for Down syndrome described a specific guideline which states that in all cases of Down syndrome certain combinations of the 27 characteristics are found in both the fingers AND the palm of the hand! More details available at: How to use the famous ’single palmar crease’ (a.k.a. simian line) as a marker in hand diagnostics! Photo: example of a baby hand in Down syndrome

BIONIC HANDS – part 2: Motion control presents the ‘Utah arm’!

BIONIC HANDS – Motion Control developed: the ‘Utah Arm’! Motion Control, Inc., is the leading U.S. manufacturer of myoelectric and externally powered prosthetic arm systems. In 1981 they presented the ‘Utah Arm’ – this was the premier myoelectric arm for above elbow amputees, which became one of the first commercially available examples of a bionic hand. Since then they haved presented in 1987 and 2004 revised versions: In 1987 the Utah Arm 2 (U2) was released with entirely re-engineered electronics that made the Utah Arm the most durable and dependable myoelectric arm available for a long time. In 2004 they presented the Utah Arm 3 (U3), including microprocessor technology with a Computer Interface that allows the prosthetist or wearer to fine-tune the adjustments to achieve maximum performance. SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • BIONIC HANDS: From Luke Skywalker to Time’s 2008 best inventions! • 2007: A new milestone for the bionic hand! • Bionic Hands – part 1: Star Wars! • RAPHaEl – the air powered robotic hand! • The ‘Alien hand syndrome’: scary stories of brain damage!

Handy Christmas gift ideas + the ‘Palm Reading TOP 10′!

Handy Christmas Gift ideas + Hand Reading TOP 10 This year’s TOP 10 ‘handy’ Christmas gift suggestions are featured with a compilation of the 10 most recommended books in the ‘Palmistry books TOP 100′, a few very interesting books about other aspects of the human hand, and last but not least… a few very funny ‘handy’ or ‘tasty’ gadgets, such as the famous and delicious ‘Antwerpse Handjes’! Are you still looking for ideas for this Santa Claus & Xmas holiday season? Maybe you should check out this year’s products that were carefully selected on the basis of quality & popularity (e.g. expert ratings, Amazon sales rank + customer ratings)! Check out the 2009 ideas: • 10 Most recommended books in the ‘Palmistry books TOP 100′! • 10 Fascinating books about hands! • 8 Funny gadgets related to hands! Illustrations: a few of the 2009 Christmas gift recommendations.

Charles Darwin – ‘the Godfather of evolution’ – had the long pointer finger!

CHARLES DARWIN HAD THE LONG FOREFINGER! Charles Darwin’s voyage of the HMS Beagle (1831-1836) is known as the most important journey around the world ever made. For, during that the famous trip Darwin gained knowledge and insights that has changed the perception of human kind about the image of life on Earth dramatically. On September 1, 2009 the “clipper Stad Amsterdam” left on a trip around the world, in the wake of Charles Darwin (1809-1882). During the 2009 journey researchers investigate many aspects of Darwin’s work and life. Evolutionary psychology professor Bram Buunk – who is involved in finger length research – studied Darwin’s finger length! Jealousy in Montevideo: Men and women have different reasons for jealousy, Buunk discovered in the seventies. Men are jealous because they do not want their female fertilized by another man – a genetic cuckoo – and for the dissemination of its genes on to run. Women are jealous because they do not want their husband’s attention spread over several partners, but exclusively focuses on her and her children. Bram Buunk and his colleagues have discovered a link between the susceptibility to become jealousy, and the ratio of the length of index fingers and ring fingers. The story is now more or less known: if the index finger (a.k.a. the ‘pointer finger’ or ‘forefinger’) is relatively longer than the ring finger, the individual, regardless of sexe, has sort of a ‘female character’. Conversely, human males usually have a relatively long ring finger, usually the ring finger is longer than the index finger (while in human females the both fingers often have the same length). The link could be traced back to an evolutionary coincidence. For, the same chemical cocktail during the embryonic development of the brains in the direction of the correct gender sends, plays a role in cutting the fingers of the hand embryonic plate. Buunk also studied Darwin’s fingers: “During a conversation about Buunk’s finger research, we realized that we could apply this theory to Darwin, and sure enough, a few photos, including the one in which he poses with his son William, you can see his hand with a relatively very long forefinger.” [see: the photos above]. “Another image that was found by a cameraman on the internet, confirms the idea that Charles Darwin had the long forefinger – which makes his a ‘female-typical man’.” “The conclusion is obvious: Charles Darwin was a man with a strong feminine disposition! That may explain a lot: his gentleness, his highly developed social and diplomatic skills, his easy survival during the cooperation with Fitzroy – who was known to be a ‘difficult’ man (likely, a man with a long ring finger), his care for his family, and his concern for the consequences of the publication of his ‘theory of evolution’ on society in general and the welfare of his family in particular.” SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • Beagle 2009 report: Charles Darwin had the long pointer finger! • Five things that your 5 fingers can tell you! • Evolutionary hand analysis! • A secret your finger length reveals! • How to measure the 2D:4D digit ratio!

H1N1 FLU PREVENTION – When to use a alcohol based hand sanitizer?

A hand sanitizer is an excellent alternative to hand washing when soap & water are not available!

About H1N1 Prevention & hand hygiene! Alcohol-based hand sanitizers — which don’t require water — are an excellent alternative to hand washing, when soap and water aren’t available. A hand sanitizer is actually MORE effective than soap and water in killing bacteria and viruses that cause disease! For, organisms cannot develop resistance to alcohol, and commercially prepared hand sanitizers contain ingredients that help prevent skin dryness.

But one should be aware that not all hand sanitizers are created with likewise substances. Some “waterless” hand sanitizers do not contain any alcohol. In general one should use only the alcohol-based products. The American CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends choosing products that contain at least 60 percent alcohol. This is how to use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer: • 1 – Apply 1/2 teaspoon of the product to the palm of your hand. • 2 – Rub your hands together, covering all surfaces of your hands, until they’re dry. NOTICE:If your hands are visibly dirty, however, wash with soap and water, if available, rather than a sanitizer!!! SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING: • ‘Hand hygiene’: a starting point for H1N1 flu prevention! • About health, hands & ‘hand hygiene’! • Did you know that warm air dryers increase bacteria on hands? • Hand facts on hand hygiene! PICTURE: How a hand sanitizer works!

An ode to the hands of composer & virtuose pianist Frédéric Chopin!

Left hand cast of Frédéric Chopin – the famous polish composer & virtuose pianist! In 1888 a small monument was erected to the memory of the Frédéric Chopin at Wasswan. Portraits and medallions of Chopin were executed by Ary Scheffer and Eugène Delacroix, and by the sculptors Bary and Clésinger. A distinguished English amateur thus records his impressions of Chopin’s style of pianoforte-playing compared with those of other masters: “His technical characteristics may be broadly indicated as negation of bravura, absolute perfection of fingerplay, and of the legatissimo touch, on which no other pianist has ever so entirely leant, to the exclusion of that high relief and point which the modern German school, after the examples of Liszt and Thalberg, has so effectively developed. It is in these feature that we must recognize that Grundverschiedenheit (fundamental difference) which according to Felix Mendelssohn distinguished Chopin’s playing from that of these masters, and in no less degree from the example and teaching of Moscheles…” “Imagine a delicate man of extreme refinement of mien and manner, sitting at the piano and playing with no sway of the body and scarcely any movement of the arms, depending entirely upon his narrow feminine hands and slender fingers.” “The wide arpeggios in the left hand, maintained in a continuous stream of tone by the strict legato and fine and constant use of the damper-pedal, formed a harmonious substructure for a wonderfully poetic cantabile. His delicate pianissimo, the ever-changing modifications of tone and time (tempo rubato) were of indescribable effect. Even in energetic passages he scarcely ever exceeded an ordinary mezzoforte. His playing as a whole was unique in its kind, and no traditions of it can remain, for there is no school of Chopin the pianist, for the obvious reason that he could never be regarded as a public player, and his best pupils were nearly all amateurs.” Portrait + hand casts of Frédéric Chopin. SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • Music is in the fingers! • Music & sports talent revealed by finger length measurement • Finger length moderates the impact of an agressive music video! • Portrait of the Michael Jackson’s delicate hands!

BIONIC HANDS – part 1: From Star Wars to world’s best inventions: the prosthetic hand!

BIONIC HANDS – From Luke Skywalker (Star Wars) to the first prosthetic hand! What appeared to be science fiction in 1980 when Luke Skywalker’s “prosthetic hand” was introduced in Star Wars episode V (‘The Empire strikes Back’), has in the 21th century definitely become reality. For, in 2008 Time Magazine included the ‘bionic hand’ in the list of best inventions! The article presents an overview of the milestones in the developments of various ‘bionic hands’ - what could become the ‘NEXT NATURE’ version of the human hand! A review of how disabled people in time were able to become a ‘bionic man’ or ‘bionic woman’! NOTICE: The concept ‘Next Nature‘ – introduced by sciene philosopher Koert van Mensvoort – is described as follows: “Next nature is the nature caused by human culture. That may sound like a contradiction, but really, it isn’t. Our technological world has become so intricate and uncontrollable that it has become a nature of its own. This means we have to re-investigate our notion of nature.” SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • BIONIC HANDS: From Luke Skywalker to Time’s 2008 best inventions! • A new milestone for the bionic hand (2007) • Evolution of the 5 fingers in the human hand! • The man who grew a finger! • More ‘evolutionary’ hand reports!