There are more phenomena that scientists cannot explain or give full awareness to why they exist. Have you ever wondered why do we need fingerprints and why one hand dominates the other?
The earth is full of surprises, and if it seems uninteresting to you, you are searching in the wrong spot. It’s worth delving a bit deeper, and even the most mundane objects seem unfamiliar, as if for the first time.
It’s fascinating that humans can tackle enormously complicated challenges, such as particle collisions at the Large Hadron Collider and Mars rovers, yet still understands very little about themselves and the world around them. Consider if we’re exaggerating. The following are some inexplicable occurrences that demonstrate the veracity of this assertion.
Why is one hand more dominant than the other?
According to statistics, around 90% of the world’s population is right-handed, whereas left-handed individuals are an oddity. However, why is there even a divide between right- and left-handed people? We have no idea. Furthermore, it is intriguing to note that the division of a person’s hands into dominant and submissive hands is not a deliberate decision made by the individual, but rather something intrinsic, set in the genes. Scientists are baffled as to why this is occurring.
According to one idea, the right hand’s dominance is perpetuated by the brain’s anatomy. This is because the speech center is situated in the brain’s left hemisphere. This hemisphere is in charge of not just speaking, but also reading, writing, and remembering data. It is also in charge of reasoning and analysis in general. Additionally, since the left hemisphere is in charge of the right half of the body, the right hand becomes dominant, as the limb is used to envision speech.
However, since this is fixed in the genes and the right side is dominant due to the brain’s anatomy, how do left-handers appear? In principle, they should be distinct from right-handers, but they are not, save for the left hand’s dominance over the right. Even stranger is the fact that dominance of one limb seems to be an odd choice, since losing one’s “primary” hand leaves a person defenseless against risks, in contrast to the body’s structure, which places both hands in the same position.
Why does the number of genes vary across species yet does not affect the organism’s complexity?
You probably believe that humans have the most genes since we are the pinnacle of nature’s creation and possess a sophisticated intellect capable of producing computers and nuclear reactors. We regret to inform you that the number of genes in your body is only about 20,000, far fewer than the 100,000 estimated by scientists at the start of the human genome’s study.
After all, other sorts of genes have a considerably smaller number, correct? Not at all. Scientists discovered that a typical tomato has more than 31,000 genes, whereas rice and maize include 50,000. And although that might be acceptable for genetically engineered plants, even Daphnia, with around 31,000 genes, is ahead of us. Despite the fact that Daphnia is minuscule plankton, this is true.
It turns out that the number of genes has little effect on the organism’s complexity. However, why should simpler plants and animals possess such a large number of genomes compared to humans, and why do we possess so few? Add to this the fact that our species’ valuable genes account for around 1.5 percent of the whole genome, while the remainder is essentially trash and leftovers of viral genes.
What causes cats to purr?
Humans tamed cats many thousand years ago, and we have been their devoted slaves ever since. People are particularly pleased with the sound we refer to as purring. We understand how this process occurs: the larynx’s muscles contract and unclench, causing the air within to vibrate. However, what use does this sound serve?
Many people may respond that purring is similar to the sounds of contentment since it happens exclusively when you stroke a cat. However, it has been seen that cats purr throughout childbirth, acute discomfort, and even when they are dying. It has been proposed that it acts as a pain reliever, however, this is just one possibility at the moment.
Additionally, some cats begin “with a half-turn” and purr at the least provocation, while others may never produce this sound in their whole lives. It turns out that this sound is actively produced and not a reflex reaction to external stimuli. In any event, mankind has not yet discovered the solution to this conundrum.
Why do cows graze in certain directions?
If you’ve ever observed grazing cows from a distance, you may have noticed that the majority of them face south. This was also discovered by scientists who, after examining satellite photographs worldwide, concluded that almost 70% of all species are headed southward. Cows, it seems out, have something like a compass that directs their bodies from north to south. However, why?
Cows are not migratory animals and graze in a particular region, thus they do not need pole orientation as birds do. It has been claimed that they simultaneously heat and cool the body in this manner, although the actual reason for the cows’ choice is unknown at the moment. Additionally, around 30% of other animals gaze everywhere except south. That is, this is not a genetically established trait that causes artiodactyls to guide their bodies in a certain direction in the absence of threat.
Why do humans and other animals yawn?
Whatever the reason for humans and other organisms to yawn, the nature of this occurrence remains unknown. One hypothesis is that hormones are produced that enhance your heart rate and blood flow when you yawn, which invigorates you for a brief period. However, why does this system operate prior to sleep, when we retire, and the brain recognizes that there is no need to re-energize the body?
Another notion is that yawning might rapidly cool a brain that has become overheated. However, you may begin yawning even when you are not chilly, so this is not a solution either.
Another intriguing subject is why we yawn in response to another’s yawn. Scientists attribute this to social empathy, but once again, it is unclear why someone would repeat after another. Yes, there is a helpful empathy, like being nauseous at the sight of someone vomiting, since this mechanism aided in preventing poisoning of our forefathers’ whole flock when they ate a single meal. However, why yawn in response?
Why are fingerprints required?
However, why do we need them at all? Historically, and even today, some scientists have argued that fingerprints aid in our ability to grasp and retain items. However, as it found out, having a smoother structure for the fingers allows us to increase the friction and area of contact with other things, thus these grooves really make us more uncomfortable.
Another idea holds that fingerprints evolved to aid in the perception of other things, although this, too, is not correct.
