TAKE A MOMENT TO PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR HANDS . IT WILL BE TIME WELL SPENT, BECAUSE THEY ARE EVOLUTIONARY MARVELS. HOLD ONE UP AND EXAMINE IT. OPEN AND CLOSE IT. PLAY WITH YOUR FINGERS. TOUCH THE TIPS OF YOUR FOUR FINGERS WITH YOUR THUMB. ROTATE YOUR WRIST. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO TURN IT 180 DEGREES WITH EASE. BALL YOUR HAND UP INTO A FIST UNTIL YOUR THUMB LIES ON TOP OF AND LENDS SUPPORT TO YOUR INDEX, MIDDLE AND RING FINGERS. THAT IS SOMETHING NO APE CAN DO. It is not only the flexibility granted by the fully opposable thumb that makes the human hand so special, but also its extraordinary ability to feel and to touch. It operates almost like an independent sensory organ. We use it to feel the temperature of a breeze and of water. With its help we are able to fit a key directly into a lock, even in the dark. We can detect uneven surfaces with our fingers that we cannot see with our naked eye. With a little bit of practice, we can use our fingers to tell real silk from synthetic silk or real leather from fake leather, even with our eyes closed.
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