Fingers of fate – how to measure your ‘2D:4D finger ratio’?

The average ‘digit ratio’ is 0.98 among women (while 0.96 among men). OK, you heard about those finger stories, but do you know how to measure your ‘digit ratio’? Professor John T. Manning’s “digit ratio” – refers to the ratio between the length of your index finger and your ring finger. The following describes the basic findings of this ‘scientific’ finger research + a 3-step method on how to measure your ‘digit ratio’! Studies have found that during gestation, testosterone has powerful effects on the developing body and brain, and can cause increased confidence, (financial) risk preferences and search persistence, as well as heightened vigiance and quickened reaction times. The most common measure is the ratio of the index to ring finger (2D:4D) on the right hand. A relatively longer ring finger – lower 2D:4D – indicates higher prenatal testosterone levels. Men typically have scores below 1, women above 1. HOW TO MEASURE YOUR ‘DIGIT RATIO’? 1. Place your right hand firmly on the plate of a photocopier with fingers straight. Close cover of place a sheet of paper over your hand to prevent glare from overhead lights. Ensure that the bottom crease and finger tip can be clearly seen in the photocopy. 2. Use a ruler of calipers to measure the distance from the middle of the bottom crease to the tip of the finger. 3. Once you have the measures for both your ring and index finger, then divide the length of your index finger by the length of your ring finger. The result is 2D:4D (2nd digit divided by 4th digit). Source: University of Cambridge. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING: • Second to fourth digit ratio, testosterone and perceived male dominance! • Finger ratio & financial risk preference! • Finger research says: ‘lingerie sharpens the financial mind in men’! • More finger ratio research

Palmar fascial thickening + deeper palm lines linked to ovarian cancer!

‘Palmar fascial thickening’ relates to ovarian cancer! Curling or thickening of the hand palm combined with swelling of the fingers, making the hand look like wood with lumpy areas. It’s called PFPAS, a.k.a the ‘palmar fasciitis and polyarthritis syndrome’ (PFPAS). What are the palmar fascia? The palmar fascia lie under the skin on the palm of the hand and fingers. These fascia are a thin sheet of connective tissue, and the fascia separate into thin bands of tissue at the fingers. The fascia cover the tendons of the palm of the hand and holds them in place. It also prevents the fingers from bending too far backward when pressure is placed against the front of the fingers – see the picture below. The palmar fascia: Some statistics on ‘palmar fascial thickening’ & cancer: “Combined with a deepening of the palmar lines this hand characteristic is since 1982 known as a signal for ovarian cancer – but it’s a very rare condition for since then about 40 cases have been reported.” NOTICE: Problems with the palmar fascia are also often seen in “Dupuytren’s contracture” (Dupuytren’s disease). SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • Hands on cancer: how the hand signals various type of cancers! • How a doctor found a brain cancer via a handshake! • Can palm reading pick up ovarian cancer? • More about how the hand relates to cancer! • How fingerprints may disappear from cancer drugs

Long ring fingers drive faster – a rather remarkable story behind Usain Bolt’s car accident!

Usain Bolt has the long ring finger!

Long ring fingers drive faster (and sprint faster!) New research from Germany points out that men with long ring fingers may more easily drive too fast, overtake on dangerous roads, and park illegally – indicated by more (self-reported) traffic violations! Earlier research pointed out that Jamaicans are known for having long ring fingers: a rather remarkable – speculative – story about how “the world’s fastest man” got into a car accident earlier this year (luckely Usain Bolt escaped without serious injuries).

Earlier ring finger research: Numerous finger length studies have shown that a long ring finger compared to the index finger in men, can have a powerful effect on health & behaviour. Quite a few studies suggest that a long ring finger is linked with: increased male aggression, outperformance in sports & (financial) risk-taking behavior. How to measure the 2D:4D finger length ratio: New ring finger research from Germany: Researchers at the University of Mainz recruited 77 male drivers at an average age of 38. Each volunteer had their left hand scanned to measure the difference in length between the ring and index fingers. They then had to provide details of all driving offences within the previous five years. Just over a third of the drivers reported having penalty points on their licences, ranging from one to 20, for offences ranging from speeding to drink driving. The results, published in the journal Accident Analysis and Prevention, showed men with longer ring fingers were more likely to have offended. In a report on their findings the researchers said: ‘A longer ring finger than index finger was related to more traffic violations. Hormone exposure in the womb might increase traffic violations in later life.’ Jamaicans have the long ring finger, and… Usain Bolt has the long ring finger!! Now, knowing that Usain Bolt has the long ring finger & with the German research findings in mind: … You might wanna take a look at the full story of Usain Bolt’s car accident earlier this year (april, 2009): A FEW SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING: • About: long ring fingers, testosterone & men who drive too fast! • Finger length & agression: a continuing story! • What they say about men with long ring fingers! • More stories about the ring finger!

The hands of the 38th US president: Gerald Ford!

The right hand of Gerald Ford.

President Gerald Ford: inauguration photo Presidential Palm Reading: the Gerald Ford ‘hand-file’! • President: 1974-1977; • Dexterity: left handed; • Hand type: long palm shape; • Fingers: normal finger length, normal index finger, long ring finger.

This summer TIME presented a photo essay on the hands of the last 9 US presidents; US palm reader Robin Gile was asked to present his palm reading for each president. Without knowing that it was Gerald Ford’s hand, this is how Robin Gile described Ford’s hand:

“A Good, Clear Mind”

“In theory, this guy would have been a good mechanic because of the bulbous tips on his middle and ring finger,” says Gile. “He’s got a clear head line, showing a good, clear mind. His thumb is exceptionally long, showing his force of will. He’s the kind of man who thinks, ‘I know what I want, I know where I want to go.’ He’s dogged. If you go up against him, he’s just going to keep coming at you.”

SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING:

• The hands of former US president Gerald Ford!
• Presidential palm reading: the hands of Gerald Ford!
• Palmprint of destiny from Pakistan: Benazir Bhutto!
• The typical finger length characteristics of US presidents!

Planet mars has a gigantic fingerprint – about NASA’s hand of God!

An impression from Mars. ‘Fingerprint of God’? Earlier this year (april) NASA reported a Chandra X-ray observatory including a ghostly blue cloud that resembled a hand with outstretched fingers grasping a ball of fire – the media were joking amused: ‘It’s the hand of God!‘. In the first week of september NASA reported another phenomenon found on planet Mars: a striking range of dunes and craters (see also the photo below) that appears to form a giant cosmic fingerprint on the surface of the Red Planet. Scientists believe the undulating ground reveals global climate changes that took place on Mars over the past few million years. The area is in the Coprates region, a large trough that forms part of the Valles Marineris – a system of canyons stretching thousands of miles along Mars’ equator. The whitish areas could be evaporites – mineral sediments left behind when salt water evaporates. Such deposits would be of great interest as they indicate potential habitats for past martian life. The detailed image is just one of thousands of pictures recently unveiled taken by Nasa’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The images were collected using a High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera during more than 1,500 telescopic observations. Each full image from HiRISE, taken between April and August last year, covers a strip of Martian ground six kilometers (3.7 miles) wide, showing details as small as one metre, or yard, across. They are the most detailed pictures of the Red Planet’s surface taken from space. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING: • Evolutionary hand analysis! • A NASA report from the cosmos: the hand of God! • Hosanna… a Palm Sunday hand reading! • Why God made five fingers for each hand! A close up shot of gullies at the edge of the Hale Crater on the red planet Mars: Planet Mars:

Hand hygiene: the first step in swine flu prevention!

Hand hygiene is the first step towards swine flu prevention!

Swine flu prevention is a matter of ‘hand hygiene’! Last week it became official: the UK and US government recommend ‘hand hygiene’ as the first step in swine flu prevention. And last wednesday Barack Obama told the American people: ‘Wash your hands’! Applying hand hygiene: what does that really mean? Let’s take a look at what is need for HAND HYGIENE!!”

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS FOR ‘HAND HYGIENE’! – 1 – “Wash your hands regularly with soap and water water, do not forget to scrub between your fingers and the back of your hands!” – 2 – “Use paper wipes for drying your hands, no warm air dryers!” – 3 – “Do not touch food before washing your hands!” – 4 – “When sneezing use a tissue, and throw the tissue away quickly and carefully!” – 5 – “When coughing use a tissue, not your hands!” – 6 – “Do not put your fingers in your mouth, do not bite your fingernails!” – 7 – “Do not shake hands, and avoid the fist bump!” – 8 – “After shaking hands or other skin contact, wash your hands as soon as possible!” – 9 – “Avoid touching objects in public spaces!” – 10 – “When using antimicrobial/antiseptic soap, combine with using hand oil/lotion, to avoid dry hand injuries!” SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: • Swine flu prevention is a matter of ‘hand hygiene’! • A kiss is healthier than a handshake! • Your health is in your hands! • warning: why hand sanitizers may increase risk of swine flu exposure! • How to stop the swine flu? No handshaking, try Barack Obama’s fist bump!

12 Fingers and 14 toes: but not a Guinness World Record!

12 Fingers & 14 toes: a new Guinness World Record?Last year various sources around the world reported that Heramb Ashok Kumthekar, a 22 year old marketing student from Pune was born with 12 fingers and 14 toes. The current Guinness World Record holder for having the most fingers and toes in the world is an Indian young boy named Devendra Harne: he has only 12 fingers and 13 toes. However, the student from Pune is not able to claim a new record. Heramb’s extra digits are caused by the medical condition called ‘polydactly‘, which translates from the Greek for “many fingers”. However, even though his hands have separate bones, technically some of his fingers are attached – this condition is called ‘syndactyly‘.Heramb Ashok Kumthekar says: “I am happy about it because I have something that others don’t have. I never had a problem with it and after I get publicity I will be famous because of it.” The congenital condition of having extra fingers occurs in one in every 500 births. Famous holders of extra digits include the beheaded ex-wife of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn (who was rumoured to have an extra finger on her left hand), the Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan (one of Indian cinema’s rising stars has one extra digit on each hand), and recently the new James Bond Girl Gemma Arterton admitted that she was born with 6 fingers on each hand (an extra pinky finger).

Research: fingerprints are unlikely to increase ‘grip’ to our hands!

In may 2009 Dr Roland Ennos and his team at The University of Manchester presented fingerprints findings with a surprizing outcome. Fingerprints do not help primates grip, as previously thought. Instead, a fingerprint actually reduces the friction needed to hold onto flat surfaces. Dr Ennos disproved the long-held assumption that fingerprints help primates to grip with a simple machine, three strips of perspex and the right hand of Masters student Peter Warman. They tested the student’s grip on every finger + thumb at three different widths of perspex as the machine pulled the perspex strips down via a weight in a plastic cup. The researchers also tested grip at three different angles by bending both the fingers + the thumb. This wide range of testing conditions allowed them to separate pressing force from the contact area and overcome any confounding variables. The results indicate that fingertips act more like rubbers than hard solids; their friction coeficient fell at higher normal forces and friction was higher when fingers were held flatter against wider sheets and hence when contact area was greater. WHY DO WE HAVE FINGERPRINTS? Dr Ennos answers the question as follows: “The experiment was so simple, this discovery could have been made 100 years ago; but scientists make assumptions and tend to look at complicated things instead. My preferred theory is that they allow the skin to deform and thus stop blistering. That is why we get blisters on the smooth parts of our hands and feet and not the ridged areas: our fingerpads, palms and soles.” SUGGESTIONS FOR LEARNING MORE ABOUT FINGERPRINTS: • The latest news about fingerprints! • Evolutionary hand analysis: the mystery of the 5 fingers! • 20 Facts about your fingerprints, skin & dermatoglyphics!

RSI Hand palm therapy: six hand-excercises to avoid the ‘Repetitive Strain Ingury’!

WHAT IS HAND PALM THERAPY? Below you will find a number of hand palm therapy exercises that can be made in your workplace. It is not always necessary to perform all the exercises and the order is not important. Each exercise should be a light ‘stretch-feeling’ generation. Hold each exercise 15 to 30 full seconds and repeat each exercise three times (a general guideline). An importance point of the exercises: during the normal movement range of joints not to exceed. Make sure in any case that during the exercises only a slight sense of strain occurs and no pain. If there is pain occurs reduce the number of repetitions and shortens the duration of the exercise. Delete the exercise completely if necessary. Perform the exercises calm and avoid pulling or springing movements (not force). Breathe in quietly through the exercises.

RSI hand excercise 1.

HAND EXCERCISE 1: Keep both hands in front of you, stretch them and them keep up for a few seconds.

RSI hand excercise 2.

HAND EXCERCISE 2: Keep both of your hands in front of you, curl your fingers and thumb, and hold this position a few seconds.

RSI hand excercise 3.

HAND EXCERCISE 3: Put your arms in front of you, lift your right hand so that the palm of your hand points out, and put the palm of your hand against the fingers. Push the fingers to you body (light pressure) until you feel a slight stretch.

RSI hand excercise 4.

HAND EXCERCISE 4: Hold your arms in front of you, take the hand which you are using most frequently (look at the wrist). Place your other hand on the knuckles of your hand and put a little pressure until you feel a slight stretch to the top of the wrist. Change hands and repeat this exercise.

RSI hand excercise 5.

HAND EXCERCISE 5: Keep your right hand in front of you with the palm up, and use your left hand to massage the right hand. Massage the inside and outside, also between the fingers. Change hands and repeat this massage excercise.

RSI hand excercise 6.

HAND EXCERCISE 6: Put your fingers in front of you together. Turn your hands so that both palms directed away from each other, and push your arms straight.

Dutch source: RSI Hand oefeningen