Why are some people right (or left) handed?
Apr 07, 2026•19 min
Episode description
What determines whether you’re right or left handed? Is there really such a thing as being ambidextrous?
It’s a surprisingly complicated story, and culture comes into play – some people are forced to go against their dominant hand.
Norman and Tegan parse through the history of handedness in this live recording at the World Science Festival Brisbane.
References:
- A large-scale population study of early life factors influencing left-handedness
- The handedness of Kerrs and Carrs
- The association between switching hand preference and the declining prevalence of left-handedness with age
- Stuttering and “Retraining” Left-Handed Children in Mid-Century U.S.
- Can training to become ambidextrous improve brain function?
- Brain Size Associated with Foot Preferences in Australian Parrots
- The Influence of Handedness on the Clinical Presentation and Neuropsychology of Alzheimer Disease
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