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[An article appearing in] Nature Communications, suggests that instead of being seen as aberrations that ought to be surgically removed, extra fingers can bring benefits. The results also highlight how flexible the human brain can be, a feature that will be central to the design of brain-controlled robotic appendages.
For the study, bioengineer Etienne Burdet of Imperial College London and colleagues worked with a 52-year-old mother and her 17-year-old son, both born with six fingers on each hand. These extra fingers, positioned between the thumb and index finger, resemble thumbs in the versatile ways that they can move.
Brain scans and anatomical MRI scans revealed that the extra fingers are controlled by a dedicated brain system, along with muscles and tendons. That means that these extra fingers aren't just along for the ride, controlled by the muscles that move the other fingers, as some doctors had thought.
A short video on YouTube shows the extra dexterity in action.
Source: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/having-six-fingers-can-offer-major-dexterity-advantages
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday July 08 2019, @05:02PM (3 children)
If someone were born with two penises, would the same 'remedy' be applied?
What about if only one penis were considered to be too many?
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 2) by dry on Tuesday July 09 2019, @05:04AM (2 children)
Well, I understand it is pretty common to slice off part of the clitoris if it is on the big side. Sometimes the Drs basically just flip a coin before surgically making someone an obvious male/female.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday July 09 2019, @01:24PM (1 child)
Hopefully the medical textbooks and state medical licensing boards enforce some rules and specifications on the fairness of that coin.
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 2) by dry on Tuesday July 09 2019, @03:06PM
Well, heard a show on CBC radio a few months back where they interviewed a male and female where both felt strongly the Doctors made the wrong call on the coin and got assigned the wrong sex. Canada I believe but probably not much different from the States.