Re: CHAT: Composition of conlanger population

On 2 Feb 2005, at 1.50 pm, Steg Belsky wrote:

> On Feb 1, 2005, at 4:07 PM, Mark J. Reed wrote:
>> Physiologically, most right-handed brains are cut from the same cloth,
>> as it were, with the major functional areas laid out fairly
>> predictably.
>> Left-handers, on the other hand, have brain maps which differ not only
>> from right handers, but from each other.  Apparently, if you have a
>> "normal" brain, you're right-handed; if you're left-handed, that's a
>> sign that your brain is not "normal", and at that point all bets are
>> off.
I think as I understand it, (almost) all people with abnormal brains in
a certain specific way are left-handers, but most left-handers have
normal brains. Though this might be normal with a limited domain... But
IIRC, this had to do both with the language centres and the way one
holds their writing implement.

> I was under the impression that handedness is a purely physical
> environment thing determined by how you're lying (laying?) in the womb.
It seems to me its more a matter of habit and practice ... since our
last discussion on the topic I've been doing more and more things
equally well with either hand, though I can still only write legibly
with my right hand (hence, of course, the name ;) and opening
bottles/jars is significantly easier with my left (because, you see,
it's left-over from grabbing the jar out of the cupboard/fridge with my
write hand).

--
Tristan.