Here's a "what if" question for you to think about:
What if we had seven fingers on each hand?
Would we have two finger-opposing thumbs on each hand? If we did, would we have a better "grasp" on things?
We could name our fingers after the days of the week, and if we didn't like something, we could flip that person a "Wednesday."
If you were clumsy, you could say, "Sorry, I'm all weekends."
How would seven fingers on each hand affect sports? How would we catch balls? Would we be more surehanded? Can't you just see some players, after a good play, saying: "Gimme seven, gimme fourteen."
That raises an interesting point: maybe our number system would be Base 14 instead of Base 10.
Would more people be in the jewelry business? What kind of piano music would be written? What would hand tools look like? What would computer keyboards look like?
Question: What if we had seven fingers on each hand? How would that change things? What would be possible? How would your profession or business change? What new things would come into existence?
Well, top of my head, it would definitely open up a new market for scissors!
Posted by: Katie Konrath | 23 October 2007 at 11:32 AM
To be honest...the first thing that comes to my mind is how it would affect...sex. I'm sure I don't have to go into further detail and that everybody have it visualized allready.
That aside I think that the term "slight of hand" would become more complex. More rappers would probably spell out their name with rings.
Personally I think we'd have more use of an opposable pinkey instead of another thumb. Today we don't need extra strenght in our hand as much as extra agility.
The biggest impact I think it would have on science. We are "crippled" by the fact that we teach childrens to count only to 10 on their fingers. More complex numbers at an early age must surely develop more mathematical minds and thus more advanced science.
But the most fun would definatly be the sex!
Posted by: Tomas | 23 October 2007 at 11:39 AM
One could play a video game control with just one hand if we had two thumbs on one. That opens up the other for doing whatever it wants, like taking a drink. ;)
I wonder how we would write? Maybe thumbs gripping on the pen or pencil? But then those other five fingers in the way...
Posted by: Jenny | 23 October 2007 at 12:15 PM
The real question is would animators STILL insist upon giving their charaters only 4 fingers because it's easier to draw...
Posted by: Fitz | 23 October 2007 at 12:36 PM
There would be more demand for yarn as knitters worked to create 7 fingered mittens to keep all of those digits warm.
Wrapping a package and tying it with a bow would be much easier. The extra fingers would prevent children having to lend a one to "hold this knot" during the Christmas season.
You could twiddle your thumbs and drive at the same time.
It *might* eliminate carpal tunnel, if a person could type with one hand only and alternate hands as one got tired.
Posted by: Kris Bordessa | 23 October 2007 at 12:45 PM
The entire glove industry would have to rebuild their tooling. The cost of rubber would go up 'cos of the 40% surge in fingers per hand. Rubber producing countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Brazil would laugh all the way to the bank.
Posted by: tan choon boon | 23 October 2007 at 06:29 PM
Katie: "scissors" -- at least the handle part. How might a stronger grip have an impact on the shape(s) of the cutting parts? Interesting to think about.
Tomas: "Sex" -- yes! the possibilities. I like your "rapper ring name-spelled-out" idea.
Jenny: Maybe pens and pencils wouldn't have to be straight. Perhaps a curvier design?
Fitz: Maybe the new convention for animators would be "six-fingered" characters!
Kris: I like your "carpal tunnel" suggestion. Perhaps instead of keyboards, we had "key spheres" which we would squeeze to input information.
Tan: The glove industry would indeed be a winner!
Posted by: Roger von Oech | 23 October 2007 at 07:53 PM
As someone in retail, I'd love it! I could fit more stock in my hands and put more things in the shelves faster! However sad you might think that is, that would rock for me!
Posted by: Jack | 25 October 2007 at 01:46 AM
Jewelers could join hands or fingers with the glove industry! Another digit for rings!
Hunt and peck keyboarding would change. Finger crocheting would evolve, and all of the medical journals would have to adapt! Opposable thumbs would have new meaning!
Posted by: debra | 25 October 2007 at 05:14 AM
We would be fabulous shortstops and great receivers.
Posted by: Lewis Green | 25 October 2007 at 09:41 AM
Brass instruments could have 5 valves, violins could have 6 strings, clarinets, flutes and recorders would get really complex....
It would take 40% longer to lick your fingers.
Sing language may become more challenging.
Hand shadow puppets could do more things. Manicurists would be in high demand....
Posted by: Karl Boggs | 26 October 2007 at 08:57 AM
I guess if this were to happen over night, the plastic surgery will have more clients. One more thing to obsess about, along with with nose dimension, wrinkles and bra size :)
Oh, and hand shaped ashtrays (they used to be really popular in Romania) would be so much more efficient :P
Posted by: Alina Popescu | 27 October 2007 at 03:06 AM
Well i guess the extra thumb would come in handy. I sliced through my thumb nail a couple of nights ago at work and now can't use my right hand for a while.
Posted by: leke | 27 October 2007 at 05:07 AM
I would think, that by having two thumbs we would begin to try handling to things in one hand (think of cooking, plugging, plumbing etc)
Posted by: Maximilian | 26 December 2007 at 02:28 AM
The order of the letters on our keyboards would be completely different. Maybe the keyboards on our mobile phones would be different too. Phones such as the Blackberry would be bigger (assuming our fingers would still be the same size, making our hands bigger) and anything with handles would be different (bicycles, cars...). We would definitively have a base 14 numeric system since the arabic numeral system is based on the fact that we have 10 fingers and it was easier that way (even the romans had a different symbol for 1, 5 and 10). Hand made products would also be different, and this would change the fashion industry. So many changes.
Posted by: Phil | 19 April 2008 at 04:53 AM
what if you wanted to give someone a thumbs up, or a thumbs down? and how would you punch the table in a meeting? and if you wanted to show someone "the finger", which would it be? it would certainly enhance foreplay! and guitar playing! nah, 5 fingers feel just right, all round.
Posted by: Jose | 24 June 2008 at 05:16 AM
haiku's inventor
must have had seven fingers
on his middle hand
Posted by: p_almonius | 27 July 2008 at 11:37 AM
Well.. I just can't imagine having seven fingers.. our hands would be huge!!! We would have a very different world.. I mean.. it's just two more fingers.. but that's a really big deal!!!
Posted by: Ady | 13 September 2008 at 09:41 PM
You'll give people a HIGH 7!
Posted by: Nate D. | 30 July 2009 at 10:44 AM
Coffee cups would have to have larger handles to accommodate and extra finger and thumb. Wine glass stems would be longer.
Can openers would be totally different and the way we used utensils would change.
Steering wheels may become just curved bars so you didn't become "tangled up".
Golf clubs and tennis racquets and the likes may be shaped differently which may well change the way the sports are played.
Shot-put, discus, netball and cricket would be better with greater ball control.
Making origami and solving the Rubiks Cube would be much easier!!
Braiding your hair would be easier - although more fingers in the mix may not be such a good thing!
Posted by: E Bayley | 13 March 2010 at 11:07 PM