Tie Your Shoe With One Hand: Having A Sixth Finger Turns Out To Be An Advantage

Dhir Acharya - Dec 28, 2019

Mankind has been born with five fingers for as long as they exist on Earth, but it may be better if we have a sixth finger, according to a case study.

This year, we have seen Elon Musk creating a neural brain network, which is a further step to true human-computer fusion. However, 2019 is ending and humans are still a body full of organic material. Nevertheless, if we decide to use technology and enhance our bodies, starting with the hands might be a more viable option than the brain.

Mankind has been born with five fingers for as long as they exist on Earth, but it may be better if we have six of them, according to a case study published in June. The study came up with that hypothesis by looking into the experiences of two people, a mother, who’s 52 years old, and her son, who’s 17 years old. Both of them have a sixth finger on both of their hands. Growing between their thumb and pointer finger.

Having an extra finger can offer certain benefits, which in this case, works as an additional thumb. The sixth finger enables these subjects to tie their shoes with one hand along with other tasks usually requiring two five-finger hands to perform.

Besides, six fingers give them advanced dexterity as well as unique changes in their brains. From brain imaging, it can be seen that their brains relied on different neural resources for managing that extra finger without trading off other abilities.

From all these findings, the study’s authors suggest that if we considered augmenting a sixth finger on our hands, our brains likely have the capacity for controlling it. According to Carsten Mehring, the study’s first author, and colleagues, we should pursue this idea.

It’s also noted by the authors that based on the superior abilities of the study’s subjects, doctors should think about the benefits of a sixth finger before removing it from newborn babies. Estimates vary but the study suggested that for 700-1,000 live births, only one has an extra appendage.

However, the subjects in this study have the extra digit from birth while the rest of us may have it augmented, so it remains unclear how we will adapt to that added feature.