gam@amdahl.UUCP (gam) (02/23/85)
Hi-ho, another lefty, here! Yes, I have felt oppressed by the right-handed world and their silly right-handed sissors and right-handed desks. But how about this: for virtually all asymmetric organic molecules, it is the LEFT-handed versions that make up living things or can be utilized by them. Life at its simplest level is left-handed! There is a very good book on handedness: "Lefties: the Origins and Consequences of Being Left-Handed" by Jack Fincher (Perigee Books, paperback, SBN: 399-50460-5) -- Gordon A. Moffett ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,sun}!amdahl!gam
gam@amdahl.UUCP (gam) (03/02/85)
I was mistaken in my previous statement about "life at its basic level is left-handed" (sounded nice, though). Here is a correction I got in the mail: > True, all amino acids used in proteins are Left-handed. (Levorotary) > However, all sugars are Right Handed. (Dextrorotary) > And you need both amino acids and sugars to survive (also fats use > D-glycerol, so they are essentially right-handed as well.) > > So life is at it's basic level ambidextrous! He did offer this condolence, however: > The only thing that you can really say is the following cliche: > "Since the body is controlled by the opposite hemisphere of the > brain, that means that only left-handers are in their right mind." I don't think it would be a legal problem to include the author's name. > Craig Werner > !philabs!aecom!werner -- Gordon A. Moffett ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,sun}!amdahl!gam