Ann Chen and Owen Roberts: Critical Writing
January 2014. Written in parallel with Molly Lowe: HANDS OFF.
Fingers
Fingers are the limbs of the human body, a type of digit, and the primary structure for locomotion, sensation and manipulation for human animals. Humans have between five and eight fingers, four of which are fully posable while the remaining ancillary fingers have incomplete bone structures and limited sensation. The four primary fingers consist of three digital bones, or phalanxes: the distal phalanx, the middle phalanx and the proximal phalanx. Distal phalanxes in the fingers are used for locomotion and manipulation, while the middle and proximal phalanx aid in manipulation, gripping and sensation. The whole set of fingers contain two long flexors connected to the extrinsic and intrinsic muscles in the base of the human body which control the fingers. Primary fingers can flex, extend, abduct and circumduct, while the ancillary fingers can only extend within a limited range of motion. The fingers are controlled by the somatosensory cortex in the brain.
Etymology
Finger derives from the old English fingor, from the Germanic fingraz and is possibly connected with Proto-Indo-European
penkwe
, meaning “five.” It is related to the Dutch word “vinger”.
Development
Incomplete records suggest that as recently as 900 years ago fingers were connected to the human body by two longer, finger like limbs, and were only a few inches long, providing human beings with fine motor movements that allowed manipulation of extremely small writing instruments and electronic devices. It appears that early humans may have had two sets of fingers, mirror images of each other, each containing four regular fingers with a larger finger positioned opposite from the primary set. Documents reconstructed from the first Internet contain detailed diagrams of limbs that resemble fingers in structure, dimensional attributes and functionality, while being about 1/12th the size of a modern finger. This discovery was instrumental in reconstructing elements of previous human culture in which written language, contained on electronic devices and ancient objects called books, was ubiquitous.
Much of the documentation of human's anatomical progression between early man and modern humans has been lost to time but evolutionary theory suggests that human bodies adapted to rapidly changing technology around them, which, along with changing social and familial structures, led to a faster reproduction process, one similar to smaller mammals like mice and rats.
Sound
The sound modulation required to form the range of phonemes necessary for spoken language was diminished to a new set of phonemes, informed by the English dialect based on electronic communication. Without a mouth or orifice to pass air through, the sounds produced by vibrations in the larynx and vocal folds sound muted and guttural, resembling sounds more closely related with violent struggle or sexual intercourse. For example, the English phrase “Hello, my name is John,” would sound like “hmmMMM oooooo. MM MM oo oooo, ah O ah.”
Gender
For women, the longitudinal, between the first and third primary fingers, and latitudinal, between the second and fourth or fifth primary, arches of the body are often the same length, though occasionally the latitudinal is longer. For men, the longitudinal is typically and often dramatically longer and more convex. In most males, young or old, the first and second ancillary arch is nearly as long as the latitudinal arch, which produces the overall appearance of severe arches in males, becomes more pronounced in old age. The ancillary arch in women is typically more flat, producing a longer reach and higher stature than that of the male.
Some determining characteristics and personality traits attributed to finger length and dimensions have carried over from early human development. Gender identification in the modern era requires close examination of the finger length of the first primary and second primary digits. Male first primaries are often longer and or of equal length to the second primaries whereas the third primary finger of female humans are shorter in length.
Physical anomalies
In extremely rare cases, humans are born with more than four primary fingers. In such cases, it appears that the extra primary finger developed instead of an ancillary finger, as opposed to the development of an entirely extra finger.
There are a few documented cases of humans born with only ancillary fingers. The lifespan of these individuals is typically less than six months.
Injuries and diseases
The bones and ligaments of the finger are commonly injured. Bone fracture or bruising can lead to significant loss of coordination and motor movement.
Fingers are particularly susceptible to a variety of cutaneous conditions, or diseases affecting the integumentary system (human skin), the organ system that protects the body from external dangers.
Inflammation and severe pain are the symptoms of common skin diseases that infect fingers and have been related to psychological factors like anxiety and depression and can lead to complete loss of mobility and sensation.
Sensation
Fingers are the primary organ of sensation on the human body and provide physiological data for perception. Human animals have severely underdeveloped visual and auditory senses, and rely on the tactile sensing of the finger appendages to mentally represent the environment around them by sensing temperature, texture and physical dimensions of objects, spaces and other humans. Research suggests that humans have highly complex brains, capable of quickly generating and remembering large amounts of information about their surroundings.
Sensation in fingers is a key component to the mating process by locating other humans and directing one another to the genitalia.
Auditory sensation occurs in the tips of fingers, which detect vibrations with tiny hairs that detect motion between 10,000 and 20,000 hertz.
The layer of nerves under the surface of the skin is responsible for feeling heat and pain. These sensations are essential to the survival of fingers to avoid dangerous objects and surfaces. Humans often inflict pain on one another, both purposely and accidentally, in part due to their limited visual and auditory perception.
History
Current debates in American philosophy concern the spiritual significance of the digit as the primary organ of the human body and whether the current anatomical makeup of humans represents a species that has more or less complexity and intelligence than earlier forms of human animals, as reconstructed through documentation of the first Internet. Documentation of early human social structure show complex processes for mating and family systems which have been replaced by socially diverse relationships in the species. The production of food and cultural artifacts which appears to have occupied a large portion of non-labor activities of early societies has been replaced by electronic aided modes of self representation and collective entertainment. In the context of these changes in human culture, the digit, or finger, has become central to the debate about the relationship between anatomy and social structures and cultural production.
Several theories attempt to explain the anatomical differences between modern, digit based humans and early multi-limbed humans with vastly more complex anatomical structures, ranging from the scientific theories concerning digital responsive interfaces and more wacky explanations involving aliens or climate change.
The rapid changes in anatomical structure during the modern era has led to widespread speculation about the eventual form and function of fingers on the human body, as well as human bodies within the greater anatomical/social network of human society. Several international symposiums dedicated to finger study and speculation have proposed a wide range of theories, from the disappearance of digits entirely to other mutations and developments. The electronic dialect of modern discourse is often a limitation in such arguments and presentations, itself a product of the rapid developmental changes in human anatomy. In many ways, language itself is inseparable from the anatomical developments of humans, the simplification of language and anatomy being indistinguishable in determining cause and effect.
Tools
Fingers are the human appendages most responsible for interacting with tools. The development of human tools and fingers has become closely intertwined in the modern age, echoing early philosopher Marshall McLuhan's famous saying, "We shape our tools. And then they shape us." The size of fingers is closely related to the size of the physical tools still operated by humans, including pencils, an implement of writing that range from five to seven in length and twelve to 16 inches in diameter. Chop sticks, the primary tool for food consumption, are made with similar dimensions. Most common tools are electronic and networked with the Internet, favoring digital interfaces and gesture interaction by fingers, and are often customized depending on the number and size of fingers in the human body. Finger cots, made from water resistant material like latex and rubber, are commonly used in many production processes, such as electronics manufacturing, to prevent contamination from harmful or toxic substance, and sensitive medical procedures such as digital rectal examination and the application of topical medicines.
Fingers in Art / Cultural Responses
The beginnings of cave art have been connected to the appearance of human animals on this planet. Paintings of fingers began appearing in cave art as early as the Late Stone Age.
The best preserved examples are found in the Cueva de las Manos in the Patagonia hills of Argentina. The cave rests in the valley of Pinturas River and is in actuality a series of caves that was visited and inhabited by a succession of different peoples. These paintings were made using a technique of blowing paint through a pipe hollowed bone, using the fingers as a stencil. Silhouettes of fingers in different sizes, in different colored paint are scattered across the walls and ceilings of the cave. There is reason to believe that these cave paintings provide early clues to the current human physiognomy.
In 1511-12, Michelangelo completed the fresco painting,
The Creation of Adam
, in the Sistine Chapel, creating one of humankind's most celebrated and studied cultural icons depicting fingers and God.
Jan Vermeer, a Dutch painter, from the 17th century, known for his tranquil and intimate paintings of the human experience, emphasized, through his depictions of fingers in action, the various occupations known at that time. In
The Milk Maid
(1658), a young woman, thrown into sharp relief by a unadorned white wall, carefully pours a slim stream of milk into a ceramic bowl. Light pouring through the window hits her strong fingers as she deftly grips and cradles the ceramic milk jug. In
The Astronomer
(1668), the scholar's near fingers grip the side of the table to steady himself as he reaches with his far fingers towards a celestial globe. His fingers touch the surface of the globe. The positioning of his fingers indicates his intentions of rotating the globe.
Fingers are also featured prominently in late early period photography. Alfred Steiglitz repeatedly and obsessively photographed the hands of celebrated American painter Georgia O'Keefe in numerous poses. In many of these studies, fingers are disassociated from the body, standing as an entity, living on their own.
Scholars studying the first Internet credit the creation of Thing T. Thing or often known simply as Thing from the popular 60s television show, The Addams Family, for introducing disassociated fingers to popular culture.
The popular meme, Charlie Bit My Finger, also referred to as Charlie Bit Me!, which swept the nation in the 2000s, is a short thirty second clip of a home video, of a young boy holding his baby brother in his lap. The boy purposefully shoves his finger twice into his younger sibling's mouth, wishing to provoke a reaction of his parental figure, standing behind the video camera, but also out of a toddler's curiosity to see the outcome, just what will happen when he puts his finger into Charlie's mouth.
Fingers
Fingers
Fingers are the limbs of the human body, a type of digit, and the primary structure for locomotion, sensation and manipulation for human animals. Humans have between five and eight fingers, four of which are fully posable while the remaining ancillary fingers have incomplete bone structures and limited sensation. The four primary fingers consist of three digital bones, or phalanxes: the distal phalanx, the middle phalanx and the proximal phalanx. Distal phalanxes in the fingers are used for locomotion and manipulation, while the middle and proximal phalanx aid in manipulation, gripping and sensation. The whole set of fingers contain two long flexors connected to the extrinsic and intrinsic muscles in the base of the human body which control the fingers. Primary fingers can flex, extend, abduct and circumduct, while the ancillary fingers can only extend within a limited range of motion. The fingers are controlled by the somatosensory cortex in the brain.
Etymology
Finger derives from the old English fingor, from the Germanic fingraz and is possibly connected with Proto-Indo-European
penkwe
, meaning “five.” It is related to the Dutch word “vinger”.
Development
Incomplete records suggest that as recently as 900 years ago fingers were connected to the human body by two longer, finger like limbs, and were only a few inches long, providing human beings with fine motor movements that allowed manipulation of extremely small writing instruments and electronic devices. It appears that early humans may have had two sets of fingers, mirror images of each other, each containing four regular fingers with a larger finger positioned opposite from the primary set. Documents reconstructed from the first Internet contain detailed diagrams of limbs that resemble fingers in structure, dimensional attributes and functionality, while being about 1/12th the size of a modern finger. This discovery was instrumental in reconstructing elements of previous human culture in which written language, contained on electronic devices and ancient objects called books, was ubiquitous.
Much of the documentation of human’s anatomical progression between early man and modern humans has been lost to time but evolutionary theory suggests that human bodies adapted to rapidly changing technology around them, which, along with changing social and familial structures, led to a faster reproduction process, one similar to smaller mammals like mice and rats.
Sound
The sound modulation required to form the range of phonemes necessary for spoken language was diminished to a new set of phonemes, informed by the English dialect based on electronic communication. Without a mouth or orifice to pass air through, the sounds produced by vibrations in the larynx and vocal folds sound muted and guttural, resembling sounds more closely related with violent struggle or sexual intercourse. For example, the English phrase “Hello, my name is John,” would sound like “hmmMMM oooooo. MM MM oo oooo, ah O ah.”
Gender
For women, the longitudinal, between the first and third primary fingers, and latitudinal, between the second and fourth or fifth primary, arches of the body are often the same length, though occasionally the latitudinal is longer. For men, the longitudinal is typically and often dramatically longer and more convex. In most males, young or old, the first and second ancillary arch is nearly as long as the latitudinal arch, which produces the overall appearance of severe arches in males, becomes more pronounced in old age. The ancillary arch in women is typically more flat, producing a longer reach and higher stature than that of the male.
Some determining characteristics and personality traits attributed to finger length and dimensions have carried over from early human development. Gender identification in the modern era requires close examination of the finger length of the first primary and second primary digits. Male first primaries are often longer and or of equal length to the second primaries whereas the third primary finger of female humans are shorter in length.
Physical anomalies
In extremely rare cases, humans are born with more than four primary fingers. In such cases, it appears that the extra primary finger developed instead of an ancillary finger, as opposed to the development of an entirely extra finger.
There are a few documented cases of humans born with only ancillary fingers. The lifespan of these individuals is typically less than six months.
Injuries and diseases
The bones and ligaments of the finger are commonly injured. Bone fracture or bruising can lead to significant loss of coordination and motor movement.
Fingers are particularly susceptible to a variety of cutaneous conditions, or diseases affecting the integumentary system (human skin), the organ system that protects the body from external dangers.
Inflammation and severe pain are the symptoms of common skin diseases that infect fingers and have been related to psychological factors like anxiety and depression and can lead to complete loss of mobility and sensation.
Sensation
Fingers are the primary organ of sensation on the human body and provide physiological data for perception. Human animals have severely underdeveloped visual and auditory senses, and rely on the tactile sensing of the finger appendages to mentally represent the environment around them by sensing temperature, texture and physical dimensions of objects, spaces and other humans. Research suggests that humans have highly complex brains, capable of quickly generating and remembering large amounts of information about their surroundings.
Sensation in fingers is a key component to the mating process by locating other humans and directing one another to the genitalia.
Auditory sensation occurs in the tips of fingers, which detect vibrations with tiny hairs that detect motion between 10,000 and 20,000 hertz.
The layer of nerves under the surface of the skin is responsible for feeling heat and pain. These sensations are essential to the survival of fingers to avoid dangerous objects and surfaces. Humans often inflict pain on one another, both purposely and accidentally, in part due to their limited visual and auditory perception.
History
Current debates in American philosophy concern the spiritual significance of the digit as the primary organ of the human body and whether the current anatomical makeup of humans represents a species that has more or less complexity and intelligence than earlier forms of human animals, as reconstructed through documentation of the first Internet. Documentation of early human social structure show complex processes for mating and family systems which have been replaced by socially diverse relationships in the species. The production of food and cultural artifacts which appears to have occupied a large portion of non-labor activities of early societies has been replaced by electronic aided modes of self representation and collective entertainment. In the context of these changes in human culture, the digit, or finger, has become central to the debate about the relationship between anatomy and social structures and cultural production.
Several theories attempt to explain the anatomical differences between modern, digit based humans and early multi-limbed humans with vastly more complex anatomical structures, ranging from the scientific theories concerning digital responsive interfaces and more wacky explanations involving aliens or climate change.
The rapid changes in anatomical structure during the modern era has led to widespread speculation about the eventual form and function of fingers on the human body, as well as human bodies within the greater anatomical/social network of human society. Several international symposiums dedicated to finger study and speculation have proposed a wide range of theories, from the disappearance of digits entirely to other mutations and developments. The electronic dialect of modern discourse is often a limitation in such arguments and presentations, itself a product of the rapid developmental changes in human anatomy. In many ways, language itself is inseparable from the anatomical developments of humans, the simplification of language and anatomy being indistinguishable in determining cause and effect.
Tools
Fingers are the human appendages most responsible for interacting with tools. The development of human tools and fingers has become closely intertwined in the modern age, echoing early philosopher Marshall McLuhan’s famous saying, “We shape our tools. And then they shape us.” The size of fingers is closely related to the size of the physical tools still operated by humans, including pencils, an implement of writing that range from five to seven in length and twelve to 16 inches in diameter. Chop sticks, the primary tool for food consumption, are made with similar dimensions. Most common tools are electronic and networked with the Internet, favoring digital interfaces and gesture interaction by fingers, and are often customized depending on the number and size of fingers in the human body. Finger cots, made from water resistant material like latex and rubber, are commonly used in many production processes, such as electronics manufacturing, to prevent contamination from harmful or toxic substance, and sensitive medical procedures such as digital rectal examination and the application of topical medicines.
Fingers in Art / Cultural Responses
The beginnings of cave art have been connected to the appearance of human animals on this planet. Paintings of fingers began appearing in cave art as early as the Late Stone Age.
The best preserved examples are found in the Cueva de las Manos in the Patagonia hills of Argentina. The cave rests in the valley of Pinturas River and is in actuality a series of caves that was visited and inhabited by a succession of different peoples. These paintings were made using a technique of blowing paint through a pipe hollowed bone, using the fingers as a stencil. Silhouettes of fingers in different sizes, in different colored paint are scattered across the walls and ceilings of the cave. There is reason to believe that these cave paintings provide early clues to the current human physiognomy.
In 1511-12, Michelangelo completed the fresco painting,
The Creation of Adam
, in the Sistine Chapel, creating one of humankind’s most celebrated and studied cultural icons depicting fingers and God.
Jan Vermeer, a Dutch painter, from the 17th century, known for his tranquil and intimate paintings of the human experience, emphasized, through his depictions of fingers in action, the various occupations known at that time. In
The Milk Maid
(1658), a young woman, thrown into sharp relief by a unadorned white wall, carefully pours a slim stream of milk into a ceramic bowl. Light pouring through the window hits her strong fingers as she deftly grips and cradles the ceramic milk jug. In
The Astronomer
(1668), the scholar’s near fingers grip the side of the table to steady himself as he reaches with his far fingers towards a celestial globe. His fingers touch the surface of the globe. The positioning of his fingers indicates his intentions of rotating the globe.
Fingers are also featured prominently in late early period photography. Alfred Steiglitz repeatedly and obsessively photographed the hands of celebrated American painter Georgia O’Keefe in numerous poses. In many of these studies, fingers are disassociated from the body, standing as an entity, living on their own.
Scholars studying the first Internet credit the creation of Thing T. Thing or often known simply as Thing from the popular 60s television show, The Addams Family, for introducing disassociated fingers to popular culture.
The popular meme, Charlie Bit My Finger, also referred to as Charlie Bit Me!, which swept the nation in the 2000s, is a short thirty second clip of a home video, of a young boy holding his baby brother in his lap. The boy purposefully shoves his finger twice into his younger sibling’s mouth, wishing to provoke a reaction of his parental figure, standing behind the video camera, but also out of a toddler’s curiosity to see the outcome, just what will happen when he puts his finger into Charlie’s mouth.
