What's so great about opposable thumbs anyway?
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Yes, but try building the espresso machine, the microwave and even the cups without thumbs and you'll find the problem
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
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I'm half asleep this morning, making coffee and for some reason the purported "fact" of how great opposable thumbs are popped into my head. You've heard it before, "opposable thumbs...toolmaking...intelligence blah blah blah". Some scientist or pundit of some kind makes a comment about how great opposable thumbs are and how they account for all sorts of supposed advancements for those that have them. So anyway, I'm making coffee and I think to myself "yeah! What *is* the deal with opposable thumbs anyway" so I make coffee without using my thumbs, piece of cake! Even though it's a laborious complex operation involving a grinder, an espresso machine, microwaving piping hot cups of hot milk etc etc. Nope, no need for them yet... Then I think "Oh yeah because you need thumbs to use tools" that's what they're always saying...but then again, you don't really. In fact all you really need is at least one, prefereably two fingers that can curl back against your palm. And in fact if by some weird twist of fate every human suddenly lost both their thumbs all at the same time would civilization come to a stand still? would we all start walking around on all fours grunting and scratching our asses? No, of course not! We'd re-arrange our environment to suit and get on with it all -- easy peasy! I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to tempt fate here or anything, I like my thumbs just fine :), but they aren't as significant as they are purported to be.
if you try hammering a nail, you will realize you are able to apply lesser force without the thumb in proper position. the grip is not good enough. if you and I have a sword fight, and you don't have the opposable thumb, you will lose. you could argue that you would use a dagger, which might not need the thumb, but your chances of survival goes down. also using a gun will be so much tougher without the thumb. (the recoil without the curl, will be difficult to handle). so, a person of equal intelligence, but who uses a hammer, a crowbar, a sword and a pistol better then you do, is going to out-breed you, if nothing else. :laugh:
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I'm half asleep this morning, making coffee and for some reason the purported "fact" of how great opposable thumbs are popped into my head. You've heard it before, "opposable thumbs...toolmaking...intelligence blah blah blah". Some scientist or pundit of some kind makes a comment about how great opposable thumbs are and how they account for all sorts of supposed advancements for those that have them. So anyway, I'm making coffee and I think to myself "yeah! What *is* the deal with opposable thumbs anyway" so I make coffee without using my thumbs, piece of cake! Even though it's a laborious complex operation involving a grinder, an espresso machine, microwaving piping hot cups of hot milk etc etc. Nope, no need for them yet... Then I think "Oh yeah because you need thumbs to use tools" that's what they're always saying...but then again, you don't really. In fact all you really need is at least one, prefereably two fingers that can curl back against your palm. And in fact if by some weird twist of fate every human suddenly lost both their thumbs all at the same time would civilization come to a stand still? would we all start walking around on all fours grunting and scratching our asses? No, of course not! We'd re-arrange our environment to suit and get on with it all -- easy peasy! I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to tempt fate here or anything, I like my thumbs just fine :), but they aren't as significant as they are purported to be.
Try doing any task that requires fine motor skills like writing or painting and you'll notice the difference. Most of the stuff we make these days is easy to use by any untrained lout and doesn't require a lot of fine motor control, but back in the day before machines were so common it made a huge difference.
and of course [they] outsource their technical support to a land where English bears little resemblance to the language I speak - Christopher Duncan
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too late [^] ;) :rolleyes: :laugh: Steve
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Well considering I've yet to find any day to day practical application for thumbs aside from convenience and not necessity I'd have to say I disagree. Maybe it's just me, maybe I have freakishly dextrous fingers, the only thing I can't seem to do is snap two fingers like I can with my thumb and any other finger.
The History of Man, the Story of the Opposable Thumb, and the Origin of England [^] :-O :rolleyes: :laugh: Steve
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Withoutthumbs,allmysentenceswouldlooklikethis.
Jon Sagara When I grow up, I'm changing my name to Joe Kickass! My Blog | My Site | My Articles
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Nope. They would use a different finger and might get run over! :laugh:
In which case they would be stuck _TO_ the road....or the car?...
adMIn, WhAtS WRonG wITH tHe BoArd? WhY ARe thE LetTErS aLl JUMPeY?
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Ray Cassick wrote:
I can do buttons without my thumbs. Just takes a bit longer.
Yeah, but by that point the guy with the thumbs has got dressed, stolen your date, and had sex with her. Your shirt-button fumbling just naturally selected your thumblessness out of the gene pool, buddy.
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too late [^] ;) :rolleyes: :laugh: Steve
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I'm half asleep this morning, making coffee and for some reason the purported "fact" of how great opposable thumbs are popped into my head. You've heard it before, "opposable thumbs...toolmaking...intelligence blah blah blah". Some scientist or pundit of some kind makes a comment about how great opposable thumbs are and how they account for all sorts of supposed advancements for those that have them. So anyway, I'm making coffee and I think to myself "yeah! What *is* the deal with opposable thumbs anyway" so I make coffee without using my thumbs, piece of cake! Even though it's a laborious complex operation involving a grinder, an espresso machine, microwaving piping hot cups of hot milk etc etc. Nope, no need for them yet... Then I think "Oh yeah because you need thumbs to use tools" that's what they're always saying...but then again, you don't really. In fact all you really need is at least one, prefereably two fingers that can curl back against your palm. And in fact if by some weird twist of fate every human suddenly lost both their thumbs all at the same time would civilization come to a stand still? would we all start walking around on all fours grunting and scratching our asses? No, of course not! We'd re-arrange our environment to suit and get on with it all -- easy peasy! I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to tempt fate here or anything, I like my thumbs just fine :), but they aren't as significant as they are purported to be.
Well, when management can't fit their heads in it, it gives them something else to put up there.
Software Zen:
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I'm half asleep this morning, making coffee and for some reason the purported "fact" of how great opposable thumbs are popped into my head. You've heard it before, "opposable thumbs...toolmaking...intelligence blah blah blah". Some scientist or pundit of some kind makes a comment about how great opposable thumbs are and how they account for all sorts of supposed advancements for those that have them. So anyway, I'm making coffee and I think to myself "yeah! What *is* the deal with opposable thumbs anyway" so I make coffee without using my thumbs, piece of cake! Even though it's a laborious complex operation involving a grinder, an espresso machine, microwaving piping hot cups of hot milk etc etc. Nope, no need for them yet... Then I think "Oh yeah because you need thumbs to use tools" that's what they're always saying...but then again, you don't really. In fact all you really need is at least one, prefereably two fingers that can curl back against your palm. And in fact if by some weird twist of fate every human suddenly lost both their thumbs all at the same time would civilization come to a stand still? would we all start walking around on all fours grunting and scratching our asses? No, of course not! We'd re-arrange our environment to suit and get on with it all -- easy peasy! I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to tempt fate here or anything, I like my thumbs just fine :), but they aren't as significant as they are purported to be.
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too late [^] ;) :rolleyes: :laugh: Steve
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I'm half asleep this morning, making coffee and for some reason the purported "fact" of how great opposable thumbs are popped into my head. You've heard it before, "opposable thumbs...toolmaking...intelligence blah blah blah". Some scientist or pundit of some kind makes a comment about how great opposable thumbs are and how they account for all sorts of supposed advancements for those that have them. So anyway, I'm making coffee and I think to myself "yeah! What *is* the deal with opposable thumbs anyway" so I make coffee without using my thumbs, piece of cake! Even though it's a laborious complex operation involving a grinder, an espresso machine, microwaving piping hot cups of hot milk etc etc. Nope, no need for them yet... Then I think "Oh yeah because you need thumbs to use tools" that's what they're always saying...but then again, you don't really. In fact all you really need is at least one, prefereably two fingers that can curl back against your palm. And in fact if by some weird twist of fate every human suddenly lost both their thumbs all at the same time would civilization come to a stand still? would we all start walking around on all fours grunting and scratching our asses? No, of course not! We'd re-arrange our environment to suit and get on with it all -- easy peasy! I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to tempt fate here or anything, I like my thumbs just fine :), but they aren't as significant as they are purported to be.
Perhaps you haven't seen "The Presidio"?
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Ray Cassick wrote:
I can do buttons without my thumbs. Just takes a bit longer.
Yeah, but by that point the guy with the thumbs has got dressed, stolen your date, and had sex with her. Your shirt-button fumbling just naturally selected your thumblessness out of the gene pool, buddy.
I just realized how important thumbs are for unfastening a bra.
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I'm half asleep this morning, making coffee and for some reason the purported "fact" of how great opposable thumbs are popped into my head. You've heard it before, "opposable thumbs...toolmaking...intelligence blah blah blah". Some scientist or pundit of some kind makes a comment about how great opposable thumbs are and how they account for all sorts of supposed advancements for those that have them. So anyway, I'm making coffee and I think to myself "yeah! What *is* the deal with opposable thumbs anyway" so I make coffee without using my thumbs, piece of cake! Even though it's a laborious complex operation involving a grinder, an espresso machine, microwaving piping hot cups of hot milk etc etc. Nope, no need for them yet... Then I think "Oh yeah because you need thumbs to use tools" that's what they're always saying...but then again, you don't really. In fact all you really need is at least one, prefereably two fingers that can curl back against your palm. And in fact if by some weird twist of fate every human suddenly lost both their thumbs all at the same time would civilization come to a stand still? would we all start walking around on all fours grunting and scratching our asses? No, of course not! We'd re-arrange our environment to suit and get on with it all -- easy peasy! I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to tempt fate here or anything, I like my thumbs just fine :), but they aren't as significant as they are purported to be.