The fate of a violin player resides in their pinky finger!

The violin is known as the instrument most commonly offered to children by state schools in the UK. It’s a challenging instrument, because rapid independent motion of the digital joints in the left hand is desirable… and a requirement in order to become a top violin player! A brand new study focussed on the pinky finger was designed after an 11-year-old patient volunteered that she had given up playing the violin because of difficulty and discomfort manoeuvring the left small and ring fingers independently. On examination, she was found to have absent FDS (flexor digitorum superficialis) function in the small finger – a condition that can be found in about 6% of the general populaton.

Do you have the ‘flexor digitorum superficialis’?

You can test this right now at home (see also the video below): hold down the index, middle, and ring fingers of your left hand, then try to bend your little finger. Now try it again, but allow your ring finger to bend as well.

Can you do it?

The UK study revealed that about 18 percent of people can do neither!

However, in a group of 90 professional musicians from “three of London’s leading orchestras” (38 first violinists, 33 second violinists, 19 viola players), none lacked this ability, and all but two were able to bend just their pinky finger!!!

Via: The Atlantic

New Polydactyly Group at Facebook!

Polydactly (extra fingers) is one of the 10 most common pediatric orthopedic conditions, and this condition has been studied as early as the days of Charles Darwin, who suggested that the condition of having more than the usual number of fingers or toes (polydactyly) was an ancient trait, now mostly formant, that occasionally reappears due to some hereditary misstep.

Basically, there are three polydactyly variants:

A – most common is the variant featured with an extra pinky (see picture above)

B – less common is the variant featured with an extra thumb

C – rare is the variant featured with an extra index finger, middle finger or ring finger

 

A few (recent) reports about polydactyly:

 - UK: The story of a farther + son who were both born with 12 fingers and 12 toes

- INDIA: A 4-year old boy enjoys the attention for his extra fingers

- Bollywood moviestar Hrithik Roshan has 2 thumbs on his right hand

- Facebook has a brand new ‘polydactyly’ group!

Denzel Washington developed his early acting skills with a ‘pinky finger trick’!

Denzel Washington showing his 'freaky' pinky finger

Top actor Denzel Washington probably developed his early acting skills with the help of his ‘trick pinky’. Manchurian Candidate co-star Kimberly Elise described in 2004 (quoted from People):

“He has this pinkie that goes out of joint” — Washington says he’ll soon have surgery on it — “and he’d freak you out with it. He’ll tell a child, ‘come and touch my pinkie,’ and it will collapse.”

Denzel Washington described once that he broke his pinky finger in an accident during his childhood, and never had it fixed.
Many sources on the internet – including IMDB - laimed that his pinkie is in a permanent state bent at the bottom knuckle a full 45 degrees outward from his other fingers. But that is not the case: it’s just that basically the problem of concern is that his pinky only sometimes gets dislocated from it’s proximal joint – see pictures below!

Obviously, Denzel Washington liked to fool-around a lot with his ‘freaky’ pinkie – and one could imagine that his minor handicap even played a significant role in how he developed his early skills as an actor!!!

Discover more about Denzel Washington’s hands at the Modern Hand Reading Forum

Read more about the unusual hand characteristics of other celebrities:

• Actress Megan Fox has a clubbed thumb
• Actor Hrithik Roshan has a double thumb
• More stories about the hands of 20+ movie stars

Denzel Washington’s handprint at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre:

HANDS & IQ – How to recognize a smart hand: 2 – the AtD-angle!

This is how to measure the dermatoglyphic AtD-angle

Most people are aware that they have fingerprints. But few people are aware of the likewise dermatoglyphic features in their palms. One of the most interesting characteristics of the palmar dermatoglyphics concerns the so-called AtD-angle: which concerns the angle between the a- triradius (under the index finger), the axial triradius (near the wrist), and the d-triradius (under the pinky finger).

The AtD-angle is e.g. known for it’s significance in Down syndrome (trisomy 21): most people who have Down syndrome have an AtD angle > 57^o (80%), while in healthy people this characteristic is far less common (7%). But quite a few other trisomy syndromes are featured: see the picture below.

Interestingly, beyond the trisomy studies, a few other studies have indicated that the AtD-angle provides a significant clue about intelligence.

A 2010 STUDY:

Exactly one year ago a study from India reports:

 

“Significant difference in the total t’ angle of the left palm was observed between mentally retarded patients and control group.Atd angle varied form 30^o to 65^o in normal individuals, where as in case of mental retardation < 30^o to > 65^o angle variationwas observed.“

A 1980 STUDY:

And the significance of a small AtD-angle as a marker for high intelligence was e.g. confirmed in a 1980 study from Zagreb (former Yugoslavia), which reports:

 

“The atd angle and FRC1 of both hands in males and females are the main discriminators for classification results of canonical discriminant analysis, for more than 80% of the tested persons.”

IS AtD-ANGLE A RELIABLE MARKER FOR IQ?

 

While the AtD-angle is included in the Dermatoglyphic Multiple Intelligence Test (DMIT), the mentioned studies clearly indicate that in isolation the AtD-angle can not be used as a reliable marker for IQ – simply because the AtD-angle highly varies among the individuals of various IQ populations.

 

At a later stage (hopefully in 2011) a new palmar dermatoglyphic marker will be introduced – based on the ‘configuration shape’ of four palmar triradii. Early results indicate that this new marker represents a more reliable marker for Down syndrome (compared to the AtD-angle) … and when combined with the major palmar lines it appears to provide a significant clue for IQ!

 

• The AtD-angle in Down syndrome

• Low AtD angle & autism

• High AtD-angle & the trisomy syndromes

 

The picture below provides an overview of the major dermatoglyphic markers in the palm and fingers.

PORTRAIT – Michelle Obama, into the hands of the 1st African-American ‘First Lacy’!

What are the major hand characteristics of the 1st Afro-American ‘First Lady’? Just like her husband, Michelle Obama has a ‘low 2D:4D digit ratio’. But unlike Barack Obama, she has a double ‘head line’ – in medical science a.k.a. the distal transverse crease.

Michelle Obama’s ‘digit ratio’ appears to be close to 0.94, which is rather low – even for an African-American woman.

NOTICE: The average ‘ digit ratio ‘ for women is close to 0.98, but in Afro-Americans the average ‘digit ratio’ is slightly lower – likely close to 0.96.

A typical female-like characteristic is her short pinky finger, which has been associated with ‘higher emotional sensitivity’ – a high score on the Big Five dimension Neuroticism (which is associated with persons who are easily upset in the face of very minor stresses; a person with high neuroticism gets easily: anxious, worried, moody & unstable).

But her ‘low digit ratio’ indicates that she does put this ‘higher emotional sensitivity’ into action, which might explain why during the presidential campaign media have tried to label her as an “angry black woman“.

Nevertheless, it appears that her populatity has not suffered on her husband’s  Presidential Approval Index rating of -20.

According the ‘The Encyclopedia of Palmistry‘ a ‘double head line’ has been associated with versatility and a great command of language & determination. But it could also point to having ‘two persona’. So maybe the ’double head line’ provides a clue why the current ‘First Lady’ was able to turn her career  as a layer into a fashion icon and role model for women, and a notable advocate for poverty awareness and healthy eating.

MORE FAMOUS HANDS:
• More famous hands: celebrities, movie stars, and many more!

Tribute: the hands of Nelson Mandela – ‘Hand of Africa’!

“Hand of Africa” – by Nelson Mandela! (Part of ‘The Hands of Nelson Mandela‘ tribute) In 2007 Nelson Mandela presented his famous lithography series titled: ‘My Robben Island’. The lithograph in this exhibit with the highest price tag ($32,000) was made by accident when Mandela placed his hand in wet ink – see the picture above. The idea of hand prints however intrigued him and he began to make several images. Only later did an assistant point out the iconic image inside the right hand print of the painting now in front of us. In the center of Mandela’s right palm shows a clear silhouette of the African continent. This is how Nelson Mandela became the most commercially successful artist of the twentieth century. The Robben Island Series of charcoal and pastel sketches was completed by Nelson Mandela between March and June 2002. Mandela said about his scetches: “These sketches not so much about my life as they are about my own country, I drew hands because they are powerful instruments, hands can hurt or heal, punish or uplift. They can also be bound but a quest for righteousness can never be repressed. In time, we broke loose the shackles of injustice, we joined hands across social divides and national boundaries, between continents and over oceans and now we look to the future, knowing that even if age makes us wiser guides, it is the youth that remind us of love, of trust and the value of life.” “Impressions of Africa” (left) & “Hand of Africa” (right) by Nelson Mandela. “IMPRESSIONS OF AFRICA”: Signed, limited edition lithograph – Paper Size: 650 x 500 mm. Throughout history few have left so indelible an imprint on the international stage as Nelson Mandela. His courage, his compassion and his humanity are among the qualities than have led to this Nobel laureate being recognized as the world\’s greatest living statesman. It is therefore fitting that the extraordinary imprint of his right hand should so closely resemble the shape of the continent of Africa. It is as though its rhythms, sources of strength and dynamism were reflected in the character of this truly amazing man who is now also a talented artist. Never did a single individual more powerfully symbolize the hopes of a nation. South Africa became free in the way that it did because his hand reached out to all and thus his name became a beacon of hope to oppressed peoples throughout the world. The edition is limited to 1,000 hand printed lithographs. The print is numbered 263/1000. All plates have been destroyed. “HAND OF AFRICA”: Signed, limited edition lithograph – Paper Size: 650 x 500 mm. Africa has historically had a capacity for suffering which has often seemed almost infinite. Slavery and colonialism, a poverty, is afflicting millions throughout the continent. In the second of these works, the imprints of the hands of children surround that of Nelson Mandela\’s left hand. Nelson Mandela, now in his eighties but as resolute as ever, is once again reaching out to answer the new cry from children in his beloved country. The edition is limited to 500 hand printed lithographs. This print is numbered 239/500. All plates have been destroyed. More of Nelson Mandela’s sketches are available at Gallery Peter Herrmann More Nelson Mandel handimpression from the 46664 concert project. On 29 November 2003 an event called the ’46664 Concert’ was held at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town. It was hosted by Mandela and its goal was to raise awareness of the spread of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. In 2005 follow-up 46664 concerts were presented in George, South-Africa and Madrid, Spain. The meaning of the number 46664 is explained as follows: Mandela was imprisoned on Robben Island in 1964, and was the 466th prisoner to arrive that year. The prison administration’s scheme of numbering prisoners was to follow the sequence number of the prisoner (466 in his case), with the last two digits of the year (64).[1] The number was imposed on him by the prison for over 25 years, until his release in 1990. “Prisoner 46664″ continues to be used, as a reverential title for him, and the Nelson Mandela Foundation uses 46664.com as its website address. Shortly before Joe Strummer’s death, he and U2′s Bono co-wrote the song “46664″ for Mandela as part of the campaign against AIDS in Africa. On July 18, 2009, the 91st birthday of Nelson Mandela, the first ever Nelson Mandela day was organized. Nelson Mandela in a t-shirt of the first ‘Nelson Mandela day’ at july 18, 2009. And on november 26, 2009 the United Nations decided to declare July 18 as: Nelson Mandela International Day. Interestingly, the story behind this announcement is quite remarkable: after Mandela – While branded a terrorist by the US Government – was allowed in 1990 to speak in New York at the United Nations General Assembly. It took another 18 years before the United States finally removed Nelson Mandela and ANC party members from their designated terrorist list. Finally, a few more impressions from Nelson Mandela’s hands … who became also known as the first black president of South-Africa (1994-1999). [Additional curiosity: the most remarkable hand characteristic in Nelson Mandela's hands is the extra crease on the lower phalange of his pinky fingers.] SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • The Hand of Nelson Mandela – photos, articles & videos • Presidential palm readings: the hands of 10 US presidents! • Famous hands gallery – the hand of politicians

The hands of the 36th US president: Lyndon Johnson!

Right hand photo of Lyndon Johnson - the 36th US president.

President Lyndon Johnson: right hand waving photo Presidential Palm Reading: the Lyndon Johnson ‘hand-file’! • President: 1963-1969; • Dexterity: right handed; • Hand type: square palm shape; • Fingers: normal finger length, short index finger, long ring finger, long pinky.

In april ’09 TIME magazine presented a photo essay on the hands of the last 9 US presidents; US palmist Robin Gile was asked to present his palm reading for each president. Without knowing that it was Lyndon Johnson’s hand, this is how Robin Gile described Johnson’s hand:

“The Charisma of a Performer”

“There’s a line that rises from the palm to the ring finger, which shows we’re talking about someone with the charisma of a performer, “ says Robin Gile, co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Palmistry. “He’s generous. I also see he’s stubborn, in a very passive-aggressive way. Decisions may not have been his strong suit. He didn’t have great mental discipline, he followed the course of least resistance. Overall, more a performer than a leader, I would say.”

MORE DETAILS AVAILABLE AT:

• The hands of the 36th US president: Lyndon Johnson!
• The hands of the last 10 US presidents!
• How to recognize the hand of a US president?
• FINGER RESEARCH – Finger length ratio linked with financial risks!’

A presidential ‘facebook’:

The ‘hypothenar whorl’ – a characteristic in schizophrenia, Down syndrome… and autism?

New research links the ‘Moon whorl’ with autism! (On top of Down syndrome & schizophrenia) In 1892, Sir Francis Galton published his highly influential book, ‘Finger Prints’ in which he described his classification system based on the number of triradii. On of the 3 most well-known fingerprint types is the ‘whorl’ (next to the ‘loop’ and ‘arch’), which is often found on the fingertips – but rarely found on the hypothenar (in palistry: ‘mount of Moon’)! What was already known about the ‘hypothenar whorl’? Quote from the article: “While the classic palmistry literature describes that the ‘hypothenar whorl’ (a.k.a. ‘whorl on mount of Moon’) can be recognized as a sign for finding a ‘highly imaginative person’, various scientific studies have indicated that dermatoglyphic whorls on the mount of moon are linked with Down’s syndrome + a few other medical problems.” NEW RESEARCH FINDING ON AUTISM! Another quote from the article: “A study on the hands of 30 people with autism (25 men, 5 women) revealed a surprizing high percentage of a specific (very rare) variant of the ‘hypothenar whorl’ – the ‘hypothenar composite whorl’.” Some examples of the ‘hypothenar composite whorl’ are presented below. In the perspective of the fact that in the science of fingerprints the ‘composite whorl’ is related to the ‘double loop’, it is interesting to notice here that the new finding relates to an earlier reported finding which pointed out that the hands of people with autism are often featured with a ‘double loop’ in the fingerprint of the pinky finger and the presence of 2 palmar loops below that 5th finger. In cases you’re interested to learn more about the basics of fingerprint classification – the illustration below describes the 8 most common types of fingerprints (including: 2 ‘arch’ variants, 2 ‘loop’ variants, and 4 ‘whorl’ variants). NOTICE: The ‘composite whorl’ whorl does not belong to the 8 basic fingerprint types (the name ‘double loop whorl’ in the picture below is traditionally described as a ‘double loop’). SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • How fingerprinting works! • Forensic experts say: ‘fingerprints reveal more’! • A historical review of research on dermatoglyphics!

The hands of the 41th US president: George H.W. Bush!

The right hand of George H.W. Bush.

President George H.W. Bush: right hand waving photo Presidential Palm Reading: the George H.W. Bush ‘hand-file’! • President: 1989-1993; • Dexterity: left handed; • Hand type: normal; • Fingers: normal fingers, low set long ring finger + long pinky.

Earlier this year TIME presented hand photos of the last 9 US presidents to palm reader Robin Gile, and asked him to present a palm reading for each president. Without knowing that it was George H.W. Bush’s hand, this is how Robin Gile described Bush senior’s hand:

“The Most Alpha of All the Hands”

“This man is outgoing, but not necessarily charming or witty,” says Gile. “But his presence is felt. This is the most alpha of all the hands. He has a high degree of eccentricity. I think he’s pretty ruthless. I bet this is Bush Sr. I could see this guy running the CIA.”

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING:

• The inauguration hand photo of George H.W. Bush!
• Presidential palm reading: the hands of George H.W. Bush!
• US presidents usually have a low ’2D:4D finger ratio’!
• How to recognize the hand of a US president?

Into the hands of the 42th US president: Bill Clinton!

The right hand of Bill Clinton.

President Bill Clinton: right hand waving photo Presidential Palm Reading: the Bill Clinton ‘hand-file’! • President: 1993-2001; • Dexterity: left handed; • Hand type: normal; • Fingers: normal fingers, long ring finger + pinky.

Earlier this year TIME presented hand photos of the last 9 US presidents to palm reader Robin Gile, and asked him to present a palm reading for each president. Without knowing that it was Bill Clinton’s hand, this is how Robin Gile described Clinton’s hand (a hand analysis of Hillary Clinton’s hands is available via the ‘SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING’ below):

“Presence and Charm”

“This man is adequate — not inspiring, but efficient,” says Gile. “He holds on to past failures too strongly, as indicated by the hollow in his palm, and doesn’t move on. His little finger curves away from his hand, showing that he had high expectations of himself, so high they are probably unrealistic. His index finger shows that he has presence and charm. He’s probably good at getting a room full of people to do what he needed them to do. But the curve of his thumb, and lack of padding on top tells me he’s not a good finisher.”

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING:

• A ZOOM IN on the hands of Bill Clinton!
• Presidential palm reading: the hands of Bill Clinton!
• The hand of Hillary Clinton!
• Hillary Clinton: ‘polarizing hands?’
• How to recognize the hand of a US president?