The animal charity, the PDSA, wants to find out how many of the nation's cats, dogs and other pets favour their left limbs while going about their daily business.
According to their recent press release, PDSA senior vet, Sean Wensley, said: "There is evidence of 'handedness' – preferring one side of the body to the other for certain tasks – in chimps, walruses and crows, so it's plausible that the same could be true of our pets."
In a recent poll organised by the Left Handers Club, members voted Barack Obama as Left Hander of the Year.
Runner up was Sir Paul McCartney, followed by Angelina Jolie. Left-handed tennis player, Raphael Nadal gained 15% of the vote, well ahead of American Idol runner-up David Archuleta.
You can find out the full story here.
Not a lot. That's because they developed many right-handed traditions, from the handshake we still use today to writing from left to right - a practice which causes many of us to drag our hands over what we've just written and smudge everything.
Luckily, I've recently discovered some rather clever pens which have been designed especially for left handers. They're a must for every left hander. You can view them here.
A recent article in an Irish newspaper revealed that, according to a poll for the AA Driving School, 57 per cent of left handers pass their driving test first time, compared with only 47 per cent of right-handers.
Simon Douglas, director of the AA Driving School, said: "Scientists have hypothesised for years that left handers are quicker to learn than right handers and, looking back through history, some of the most important drivers in the world have been left-handed."
Well, hooray for that story!
You can read the full article here.
August 13 is International Left Handers' Day which means this is every southpaw's chance to celebrate their right to be left handed.
It's the one day in the year where we can officially designate our personal space as a LEFTY ZONE and where our friends, colleagues and family must do everything within that zone left-handed!
The official Left Handers' Day website has a whole range of free posters you can download to display in your special lefty zone. You can access the downloads here.
So choose the ones you like best and stick them up all over your lefthanded-only zone at home or at work - or both.
Here are just a few tasks you can get your right-handed friends and colleagues to do left handed: open a tin or a wine bottle, use a computer mouse, cut bread, write with a fountain pen, cut paper with scissors. Enjoy watching their plight!
But it's not just about getting one up on your right handed friends; there is a serious point to the day. It was started 16 years ago in an attempt to raise awareness of left-handedness and the challenges caused by living in a right-handed world. And also to educate designers and manufacturers to accommodate left-handers’ comfort and safety in the design of their new products.
Happy Left Handers' Day!
Driving on the left means we left handers can get to use the gear stick with our left hands. (One of the few things that are designed to favour southpaws...) However, we have our right-handed ancestors to thank for the fact we drive on the left hand side of the road.
That's because they used to carry their weapons in their (dominant) right hands. It was far safer to pass someone on the left, as it meant their weapon was between them and the passing stranger.
When Napoleon came along he changed this rule of the road. He was left handed so he ordered his armies to march on the right, thus keeping his sword arm between him and the advancing enemy.
I read an interesting story the other day: marine biologists from 23 Sea Life centres across
The results will be released in autumn.
Incidentally, I also read an octopus in a German zoo has been trained to open a jar!
Ever since I got my first SLR camera about 20 years ago, I've been keen on photography. And the digital SLR I got last Christmas was the best present I've ever received.
But, like all left handers, I have to use a camera that has been designed for right-handed people because I'm forced to use my right index finger to depress the shutter. And, on my little point and shoot camera, all the buttons and cursor keys are located on the right hand side - the left hand side is all screen. The SLR has so many buttons and controls that there are one or two located on the left - but not many.
The other day we were visiting the Wetland Centre in Barnes (dozens of ducklings!) and got chatting to a chap who had a Sanyo Xacti compact camcorder. It was a really neat camera and very impressive for its size. It was designed so you could control it with just your thumb. But, yes, you've guessed it - your right thumb.
