Fascination with Hands

Ever since I was young, I've been extremely interested in the mechanics of our hands. Along with our affinity for speech, our tool-making fingers are perhaps the defining characteristics of humanity. I mean, yes, it's pretty cool that we have an opposable thumb, but the beauty of design doesn't stop at being able to make the OK sign.

Out hands are remarkably strong. Just ask a rock climber. Not only are we able to grasp, pinch, and grip, we have enough prehensile force to hold our body weight in most positions. If you examine the force applied during a grasping motion without knowing it's a hand, you might picture a stocky appendage, bulky with muscle. In fact, the design of the primate hand is pretty spectacular. All the muscles are withdrawn from the precision-like instrument that is the fingers to a position high on the forearm.

As far as I'm concerned the human hand is the most beautiful part of our bodies. It contains nerve bundles that release cortisol and endorphins when damaged as we assume an automatic defense posture. It also, in many ways, is the link to our reality. The hand grasps us to this world as much as the brain defines who we are.