Fingers

NikNik

This question was posted in the free Metro paper and I've been looking and my hands the whole day feeling puzzled. I know there's probably a very obvious reason for it but it's wrecking my head. Why aren't all our fingers the same size ?

MrJoeSoap

What a strange question. I have no idea.

besty

Now that's a thinker....hmmm

Kiera

Thats like asking "why is the grass green"

monkeyfudge

Kiera wrote:

Thats like asking "why is the grass green"

Because of the chlorophyll content?

MrJoeSoap

Kiera wrote:

Thats like asking "why is the grass green"

We'll answer that one when we've dealt with the first one.

Now, fingers... hmmm...

hullaballoo

I just counted myself lucky to have opposable thumbs in the first place, but now life has new meaning!

Niall123

I have a feelin this is gonna be another "first one to google wins".

xzanti

Thats a dilly of a pickle alright...

MrJoeSoap

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?isbn=0060740914&itm=1

From the Imponderables series comes another book for those who wonder: Why are our fingers different lengths? What flavor is bubble gum supposed to be? Why do rabbits wiggle their noses? And other generally troubling matters!

NikNik

Kiera wrote:

Thats like asking "why is the grass green"

not really. thats would have to do with the way the sunlight reflects on the grass or some such reason - same kinda reason why the sky is blue.

MrJoeSoap

NikNik wrote:

not really. thats would have to do with the way the sunlight reflects on the grass or some such reason - same kinda reason why the sky is blue.

No I'm pretty sure grass is actually green.

Kiera

NikNik wrote:

not really. thats would have to do with the way the sunlight reflects on the grass or some such reason - same kinda reason why the sky is blue.

You are taking the píss, right?

eefs

Well, sure, some of our arms aren't the same length, or legs, ladies' breasticles can be different sizes...our teeth aren't all even.

We're like snowflakes. All uniquely different.



Yeah.

Ruaidhri

why should they be the same length? it allows us to grip different shaped objects. irregular shaped objects.

NikNik

Kiera wrote:

You are taking the píss, right?

Well, I was close...

http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/education/ask/?quid=557

Surprisingly, grass has a green color because it absorbs all other colors except green! That may sound odd, but remember that if you can see a color, then that color is reaching your eyes. For that to happen, an object needs to absorb (keep) all of the other colors of the rainbow and reflect (not keep) the color that you see
Grass and other green plants have a chemical called chlorophyll (KLOR-oh-fill), and its special structure allows it to specifically catch blue and red light. All light has energy, and chlorophyll absorbs the colors that have the correct energy to help power the plant’s machinery. The plant can then turn carbon dioxide and water into glucose, a sugar. The leftover light, mostly green, bounces off and reaches our eyes; since there’s a lot of chlorophyll in plants, we see them as being green.

NikNik

Ruaidhri wrote:

why should they be the same length? it allows us to grip different shaped objects. irregular shaped objects.

no i think thats why we have joints

Rantorama

NikNik wrote:

not really. thats would have to do with the way the sunlight reflects on the grass or some such reason - same kinda reason why the sky is blue.

Yeah,I think the grass is actually colourless,but the way the human eye sees it,it appears to be green.I'm sure someone who payed attention in science class will correct me though.

monkeyfudge

I already said it was because of the chlorophyll... doesn't anyone ever listen to me?

The reason why Ireland is so famously green is because of our lack of sunshine... and as such the plants have a higher chlorophyll content.

Kiera

NikNik wrote:

Well, I was close...

http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/education/ask/?quid=557

Surprisingly, grass has a green color because it absorbs all other colors except green! That may sound odd, but remember that if you can see a color, then that color is reaching your eyes. For that to happen, an object needs to absorb (keep) all of the other colors of the rainbow and reflect (not keep) the color that you see
Grass and other green plants have a chemical called chlorophyll (KLOR-oh-fill), and its special structure allows it to specifically catch blue and red light. All light has energy, and chlorophyll absorbs the colors that have the correct energy to help power the plant’s machinery. The plant can then turn carbon dioxide and water into glucose, a sugar. The leftover light, mostly green, bounces off and reaches our eyes; since there’s a lot of chlorophyll in plants, we see them as being green.

Oh how i laughed. That showed me I still say its god damn GREEN

audge

I think the real question that needs to be asked here is.....................................................

why where you reading the free metro????

landser

your fingers are all the same length. it's just that the little finger is further away and therefore looks smaller... small and far away fr. dougal:D

IceHawk

OK, Grass is green because of the chlorophyll. The explanation about it absorbing other wavelengths of light is just a basic explanation of all colours. Everything absorbs different wavelengths of light, and the wavelengths that are reflected back into our eyes are interpreted by our brains as colours.

And as for why our fingers are different lengths? Well that's obviously...ummm... because that's the way god made us! Yeah, that makes sense.

Wow... my hands are so cool. They can touch everything except themselves...


Oh.

NikNik

landser wrote:

your fingers are all the same length. it's just that the little finger is further away and therefore looks smaller... small and far away fr. dougal:D

LoL

hullaballoo

landser wrote:

your fingers are all the same length. it's just that the little finger is further away and therefore looks smaller... small and far away fr. dougal:D

Nearly p!ssed myself

stevenmu

NikNik wrote:

Why aren't all our fingers the same size ?

To make typing on QWERTY keyboards easier.

Either that or it's to give your hands a more rounded shape for better balance, and to make lifting them easier when walking on them. Given the usuall time scales mentioned for evolution I'm going with the second answer.

vibe666

quite simply to make them more versatile, so you can do lots more different things with them. bowling, archery, the vulcan death pinch etc.

Kiera

NikNik wrote:

Well, I was close...

http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/education/ask/?quid=557

Surprisingly, grass has a green color because it absorbs all other colors except green! That may sound odd, but remember that if you can see a color, then that color is reaching your eyes. For that to happen, an object needs to absorb (keep) all of the other colors of the rainbow and reflect (not keep) the color that you see
Grass and other green plants have a chemical called chlorophyll (KLOR-oh-fill), and its special structure allows it to specifically catch blue and red light. All light has energy, and chlorophyll absorbs the colors that have the correct energy to help power the plant’s machinery. The plant can then turn carbon dioxide and water into glucose, a sugar. The leftover light, mostly green, bounces off and reaches our eyes; since there’s a lot of chlorophyll in plants, we see them as being green.

I'm a bit slow today but why didnt you just put "Why aren't all our fingers the same size ?" into the search on that site?????

Vikings

vibe666 wrote:

quite simply to make them more versatile, so you can do lots more different things with them. bowling, archery, the vulcan death pinch etc.

Made me laugh ... almost tempted to brand you with the N word

Ruaidhri

from http://www.4to40.com/QA/index.asp?counter=274&category=science

In the earliest days of life on Earth, hands helped man when he stood or walked about. They were used much as an ape uses them now.

If we put our hands on a table as if about to walks on the tips of our fingers, we can see what a well-balanced support is formed. We no longer need our hands for walking, of course, but the unequal length of our fingers still help us in many ways to maintain balance and grasp and use tools-the main thing man can do that makes him special.

Heh, told ya. altho i didnt guess at the walking thing.

NikNik

100th post

MrJoeSoap

NikNik wrote:

100th post

Yay! Whens the party?

NikNik

MrJoeSoap wrote:

Yay! Whens the party?

who said youre invited ?

MrJoeSoap

NikNik wrote:

who said youre invited ?

*Sulk*

Canis Lupus

Rantorama wrote:

Yeah,I think the grass is actually colourless,but the way the human eye sees it,it appears to be green.I'm sure someone who payed attention in science class will correct me though.

NikNik and Icehawk all have the right answer. I'm sort of surprised more people didn't know this as it's commonly taught in science in school.

Remember all that stuff about chlorophyll and photosynthesis 6CO2 + 12H2O + sunlight ---> 6O 2 + C6 H12O 6 + 6H2 O

Rantorama

Canis Lupus wrote:

Remember all that stuff about chlorophyll and photosynthesis 6CO2 + 12H2O + sunlight ---> 6O 2 + C6 H12O 6 + 6H2 O

Wow now that you put it like that...I still don't remember.

The Free Man

maybe, fingers are different lengths because of that ratio of perfection, phi i think its called. its something like 1:1:27. it turns out that all proportions of life in general use this ratio, and it can be found everywhere, eg: the perfect human body will have its upper body in this ratio with its legs, and i presume it would go all the down to the measurements of fingers, in relation to your hand, and in relation to the different parts of your fingers.
i remember seeing a program about it with john cleese presenting it. it was quite interesting...

The General

NikNik wrote:

This question was posted in the free Metro paper and I've been looking and my hands the whole day feeling puzzled. I know there's probably a very obvious reason for it but it's wrecking my head. Why aren't all our fingers the same size ?

That is just a stupid question :rolleyes: if we had the same size fingers you would be asking "Why are all our fingers the same size?"

DonkeyStyle \o/

"You know they call 'em fingers... but I've never seen 'em fing. "
- Otto

Capt'n Midnight

monkeyfudge wrote:

Because of the chlorophyll content?

But why is chlorophyll green ?
Black would be a more efficient colour.
(the real reason is to do with energy levels)

vibe666

IncredibleBulk wrote:

Made me laugh ... almost tempted to brand you with the N word

dare I ask what the 'N' word is in this particular instance?

NikNik

The General wrote:

That is just a stupid question :rolleyes: if we had the same size fingers you would be asking "Why are all our fingers the same size?"

i would probably ask that if all our other limbs were different sizes and only our fingers were the same size tbh

Piste

NikNik wrote:

Why aren't all our fingers the same size ?

Because you touch yourself at night


Well I think that answers that question.

NikNik

Piste wrote:

Because you touch yourself at night


Well I think that answers that question.

Fair enough, can't argue with that. Case closed.

blu_sonic

but not with the fingers

lilmissprincess

Lemme guess...you're a ctyi-er.....that saying...the humiliation...could've killed him..

Aisling(",)

because I said so.changes subject thats a lot of weather weer having *stares at sky*