Random Thought Experiments: Right to Left, Left to Right

[DialecticSkeptic]

Imagine you wake up one day and discover that everyone in the world has inexplicably swapped their dominant hand overnight. Righties are now lefties, lefties are now righties. Chaos ensues. What would be the most hilariously disastrous consequences?

 

[makesends]

Well, for one, my brother could now begin to pick at all his siblings!

 

[makesends]

Imagine you wake up one day and discover that everyone in the world has inexplicably swapped their dominant hand overnight. Righties are now lefties, lefties are now righties. Chaos ensues. What would be the most hilariously disastrous consequences?

Ya know —I'm being tempted to vert this thread to the question of whether we are only in a video game.

Or, NO. Better yet, to the question of what if I was native born in a land 12 time zones away.

Maybe that is me, over there, but this me doesn't know it yet.

 

[fastfredy0]

What would be the most hilariously disastrous consequences?

Those with one arm would have to learn to use the other arm all over again.

The art of writing on paper would be more difficult as the position of the pen would be different.

Archers would have to update their equipment.

 

[makesends]

Those with one arm would have to learn to use the other arm all over again.

The art of writing on paper would be more difficult as the position of the pen would be different.

Archers would have to update their equipment.

But, doesn't 'dominant' imply that the now-dominant hand is the one that works best? Already coordinated, seems implied.

 

[DialecticSkeptic]

Nobody would be able to cut anything, since nearly all scissors are right-handed but now most of the population are lefties.

 

[ElectedbyHim]

Not sure I still could be a Chef.

Knife skills take years of practice.

There goes a finger.

 

[fastfredy0]

But, doesn't 'dominant' imply that the now-dominant hand is the one that works best? Already coordinated, seems implied.

Probably so, but no as interesting a question if that be the case. Maybe the opposite hand became dominate due to a stroke.
Like, all of a sudden I would "throw like a girl".

 

[fastfredy0]

Not sure I still could be a Chef.

Knife skills take years of practice.

There goes a finger.

Would be terrible to switch dominant arm in the middle of your knife throwing act on stage with some damsel spinning on a wheel.

 

[ElectedbyHim]

Would be terrible to switch dominant arm in the middle of your knife throwing act on stage with some damsel spinning on a wheel.

That's funny.

Imagine if you were a boxer, ouch.

 

[fastfredy0]

That's funny.

Imagine if you were a boxer, ouch.

Imagine learning to wipe your butt.
Guess you don't have to imagine...nothing to stop experimentation now. Let's us know how it goes.

 

[makesends]

Nobody would be able to cut anything, since nearly all scissors are right-handed but now most of the population are lefties.

While, granted, the OP says chaos ensues, it is not clear whether the fact that everyone has "inexplicably" become handed opposite from what they had been earlier, did not also include other things shifting. But, in fact, as with time travel, were it possible, where in the movies and books the traveler is the only one who remembers what it was like 'before' that travel, I could posit that we used to be most of us lefties and now are righties, or some such other claim, and nobody could prove me wrong —because, how would we know?

The OP may be mistaken in the question of chaos ensuing, or maybe we think the chaos is normal as we consider things non-chaotic right now. But granting the OP to be, on a surface reading, correct that chaos ensued, one should probably conclude that you are right about the scissors. Even now, I'm in the middle of figuring out what to do with my Zebco 33, should such an eventuality occur. Will the fish also be affected?

OH NO!!! Will clockwise and counterclockwise be reversed??? Perish the thought!

 

[ElectedbyHim]

Imagine learning to wipe your butt.

Haha.

 

[makesends]

Probably so, but no as interesting a question if that be the case. Maybe the opposite hand became dominate due to a stroke.
Like, all of a sudden I would "throw like a girl".

Hmmm... that would be chaotic, for sure! Whole YouTube videos (about amazing baseball throws) would have to inexplicably disappear. And transmen would have to be reallowed onto women's teams for being inept. Bro! I don't like where this thread is going!!!

 

[makesends]

Haha.

I'm guessing the TP companies will be selling a larger version 'learning leaf'.

 

[makesends]

Would be terrible to switch dominant arm in the middle of your knife throwing act on stage with some damsel spinning on a wheel.

"Don't worry folks, it's all part of the cat"

 

[David1701]

Imagine you wake up one day and discover that everyone in the world has inexplicably swapped their dominant hand overnight. Righties are now lefties, lefties are now righties. Chaos ensues. What would be the most hilariously disastrous consequences?

Very little.

 

[David1701]

"Don't worry folks, it's all part of the cat"

Is your now dominant arm dyslexic?

 

[makesends]

Is your now dominant arm dyslexic?

sorry. Trying to releran typnig. Erevything gets switched aruond in my haed.

 

[QVQ]

As a right hander in a left hand family, I can throw like a girl with either hand.