- #1
jhooper3581
- 49
- 0
I was always curious on this one. What part of brain do we use for solving physics problems?
What is the correlation between handedness and brain dominance?
Click For Summary
Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around the correlation between handedness and brain dominance, particularly in the context of solving physics problems. Participants explore various aspects of brain function, including the areas involved in mathematical and spatial reasoning, and how these may relate to handedness.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Conceptual clarification
- Debate/contested
Main Points Raised
- Some participants suggest that brain area usage varies from person to person, with certain activities generally located in specific areas.
- One participant proposes that physics is a left-hemisphere activity, linking left-handedness to abstract and artistic talents, but acknowledges uncertainty about specific cortical areas involved.
- Another participant distinguishes between spatial reasoning and mathematical logic, indicating that space and time perception may be managed by the right parietal lobe.
- A participant expresses uncertainty about the roles of different brain areas, noting their ambidextrous nature and the complexity of cognitive functions.
- One participant reflects on the significance of brain dominance in relation to handedness, suggesting that it may be weak and that cognitive functions may not align with motor skills dominance.
- There is mention of the 'word-thinking' versus 'visual-thinking' contrast and its relevance to dyslexia, indicating a broader exploration of cognitive processing styles.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants do not reach a consensus on the relationship between handedness and brain dominance, with multiple competing views and uncertainties expressed throughout the discussion.
Contextual Notes
Some claims about brain area functions and handedness are based on personal experiences and anecdotal evidence, and there is acknowledgment of potential biases in the literature referenced by participants.
- #2
GeorginaS
- 236
- 1
How does my brain work?
Mine, quite frequently, refuses to.
Mine, quite frequently, refuses to.
- #3
Danger
Gold Member
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Poorly, at best. 
- #4
jhooper3581
- 49
- 0
No, no, I bet you guys are intelligent people, I was just curious what part of our brain uses to solve physics problems.
- #5
Danger
Gold Member
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Brain area usage actually varies from person to person, although certain activities are generally located in specific areas. I suppose that physics is a left-hemisphere activity, since left-handed (right-brained) people tend toward more abstract and artistic talents. What the specific area of the cortex is involved is outside of my knowledge.
- #6
jhooper3581
- 49
- 0
Oh okay, I bet then mathematical and spatial knowledge is left-hemisphere thing (math definitely is, but I don't know about spatial thing though).Danger said:
- #7
Danger
Gold Member
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Spatial is a bit different from math and logic. Space and time perception tend to be managed by the right parietal lobe.
- #8
jhooper3581
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Math can use logic behind solving algebraic equations, but geometry is also mathematical, but we also need to use some spatial knowledge to visualize geometric objects in our minds, don't we?Danger said:
- #9
Danger
Gold Member
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I'm not sure about that; it might just be a matter of several different areas cooperating to solve a problem. It's kind of a weird field for me to try envisioning, since I'm fully ambidextrous. Neither side of my brain is dominant. Unfortunately, neither side is fully functional either. I have no problem combining something like hydraulics and cellular biology to design something, although I know little about either. I do, however, tend to use my right hand for technical draughting and my left for drawing pictures. (And for some unknown reason, I do cross-word puzzles left-handed.) I mouse with either hand, but tend to use my right with the graphics tablet. All in all, it's a mystery subject.
- #10
Andre
- 4,296
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Perhaps that the question where we think is not nearly as interesting as how we think. So the topic "How does your brain work?" certainly is more than "where does your brain work?". I'm thinking about thinking and memorizing in words, concepts, visual images, sounds, smells, feelings. More specifically, the 'word-thinking' / 'visual- thinking' contrast has been subject to study, especially in relation with dyslexia and the misconceptions about that.
Recommended:
http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/health/1790.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_thinking
http://www.dystalk.com/talks/24-visual-thinking-and-dyslexia
http://www.dyslexia.com/bookstore/giftbook.htm
Recommended:
http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/health/1790.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_thinking
http://www.dystalk.com/talks/24-visual-thinking-and-dyslexia
http://www.dyslexia.com/bookstore/giftbook.htm
Last edited by a moderator:
- #11
Pythagorean
Science Advisor
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Danger said:
If I recall correctly, the significance of brain dominance as it depends on handedness was weak. I'm a lefty and was interested in the subject in my high-school years. I remember reading that we have large corpus coliseums on average, too (which means communication between left and right hemisphere are likely to be better in lefties).
But I don't know how much of what I've read was biased by the left-handed authors.
Anyway, to my original point, I think the issue is that handedness and cognitive functions are handled by different parts of the hemisphere, so you may be using your motor skills from your right hemisphere (as a lefty) but it doesn't mean you're cognitive skills are dominant in the right hemisphere.
I kind of lost interest in the subject a while ago (like, 10-15 years), so I may be shaky here.