A scientific experiment…
A recent blog conversation has led me to ponder one of the great mysteries of life, and I’m seeking your help in solving it.
You see, when I raise a quizzical eyebrow, I always raise the left one because it goes higher than the right one. I recently became aware of the remarkable fact that the same applies to Professor VJ Duke – his left eyebrow rises higher than his right too!
Now the astonishing thing about this is that I am right-handed and he is left-handed, and yet this does not appear to influence our eyebrow-raising lopsidedness in any way!
Which leads me to wonder – are higher left eyebrows one of the constants of life? Are we, as humans, genetically designed to always be leftly quizzical? A sinister thought…
So please help me by sparing a couple of minutes of your busy life to sit at your mirror and raise each eyebrow in turn. Then come back and complete the poll below. Your answer will be kept in strictest confidence and under no circumstances will it be revealed to insurance companies, cloning laboratories, taxidermists or Area 51…
* * * * * * *
Thank you so much for your participation! 😉
I cannot move my eyebrows independently, so had to click ‘both the same’. Now I am worried I might be missing out. This is a skill I shall have to practice…
You can’t? Oh, you poor thing! Perhaps that means you’re half alien… But we won’t hold it against you! *raises left eyebrow in unpleasantly smug manner*
I have no doubt I am half something-other-than-human. *Laughing lots*
But at least you’re not lopsided… and in years to come your wrinkles will be parallel…
Hahaha! Well, there’s a bonus! I can use them to write musical scales on my forehead. Quite useful, I’d say.
Haha! But then you’d have to stand in front of the band so they knew what to play…
That could make me popular on open mic nights 😉 …
Me too PorterGirl, I thought there was something wrong with me until I read your comment and realised I’m not alone!
Hurrah! It’s good to know I’m not the only one. It is frustrating, actually. The things that can be conveyed with simply and arched eyebrow can be quite enigmatic. I shall keep practicing, but I just look like I am having a seizure of some kind. Pah.
At last I understand my affinity with Spock. (I always suspected my parents weren’t really – my parents.)
Well, I know it must have been a shock, but look on the bright side – you could have been a Klingon!
So true! Vulcan is good.
Live long and prosper!
what can I say but hehehehe 🙂
Aha! Not revealing, eh? I’ll put you down as a botox… 😉
hehehehehe …you do make me laugh – and then both eyes crinkle and possibly both eye brows move too 🙂 But I think my left brow can move independent to the right brow (but I haven’t studied this phenomena) …Botox – you think I star in movies rather than making them??? Wrong! Are your bored? Have you run out of books ? 🙂 When are you writing a book??
You haven’t studied it? I’m worried now – surely I can’t be the only one who makes faces in the mirror…
Botox must have taken over the world – I couldn’t find a single picture of a female celeb with a raised eyebrow. Must put extra wrinkle cream on my forehead tonight…
Haha! Yes, I was bored last night – how could you tell?
Finished that huge TBR pile? 🙂 I think you should write a book – in letter form or anecdotes discussing these and other important issues.
Haha! Someone has to address these burning issues, certainly! You should make a documentary about it… 😉
I could do that – do you think we could get funding? I think we could make this on a budget of say A$400k..as there will be lots of travel and lots of copy rights to be bought – for all those famous eye brow raising images and then of course the experiments and the re enactments. You can get a writers credit and we could co produce and co direct 🙂
😆 If it turns out Clooney’s an eyebrow-raiser, I’m in! In fact I’ll make the first donation to the crowd-funding… 😉
We need a “name” to get this project off the ground 🙂 Good thinking 999
Hmm… Project Spock? That’ll get the sci-fi fans on board… 😉
But then what happens George with all those Vulcans taking over??
George will be there to prove that humanity is the superior species…
We could start a crowd fund raising thing for the documentary.
Interesting.
😆 😆 Bet your eyebrow was raised quizzically while you said that…
Er ok..I was rather proud of my eyebrow raising ability (only left)..I had no idea others can do it too.. 😦 thanks for enlightening me though.. 😛 😀
Haha! It may not be unique, but at least it suggests you’re a human… 😉
Ooh that’s actually a big consolation..I’ve been spending the last few months trying to convince myself I’m not an ever-inflating balloon.. 😛
HahahaHA! Stay away from sharp objects just to be safe…
😀 😀 Thanks..I will..and also from cakes.. 😛
😆
What an interesting query! I’m a left eyebrow raiser and honestly, I’ve always been kind of proud that I could do so. I think many can’t do it with either. And I’m pretty sure I started trying to see which, if any, worked that way from watching the original Star Trek TV show in my early youth. That Mr. Spock. And, by the way, I’m left handed. If that helps. It probably doesn’t.
Yes, I’m rather proud of my eyebrow-raising ability too – especially since I no longer seem able to touch my nose with the tip of my tongue. (Don’t know whether it’s my tongue that’s got shorter, or my nose.) I don’t understand why these skills aren’t more recognised by society – you’d think we should get awards or perhaps eyebrow-raising should be made an Olympic event…
Very interesting, FictionFan! I’ll be watching for the final vote – and raising a quizzical eyebrow as I do so. And I do wonder what the handedness of your respondents will be; if your participants reflect the larger population, you’ll likely have mostly right-handed people. And if so, that really does make the left-eyebrow popularity interesting!
I notice we appear to have discovered one alien already, but they’ve kept their identity hidden… Perhaps I should have insisted on selfies… 😉
😆 Only if you provide one too 😉
My blog, my rules… 😉
😆
*laughing lots and lots* Oh, how I wish I could raise the right one! That’d make me so proud of myself. Is that first picture Rafa? Bet you searched for a Darby one!
I’d love to be a cyclops, wouldn’t you? But you wouldn’t see such…detail then. *laughs lots about genetically designed*
Isn’t it called a unibrow?
Can’t you?! Oh *she said, smugly* I can raise either – but my left is higher. Poor you! Never mind – we can’t all be so talented! Hahaha! You know me far too well, you know, you know – you have no idea how long I spent failing to find a Darby one…
I’d actually like to have three – one on the front and one above each ear. It would save all that head-turning energy…
Oh, that’s probably just how you Americans spell mono…
I always knew you were talented in ways you never let on! *bangs head on now brown desk* No…not Darby!
*laughing* Now that would be a sight. I wouldn’t let you, you know, you know.
I was accused of such a thing once.
Oh, I have so many talents! For instance, I can play Three Blind Mice with one finger on the piano! (So long as someone reminds me which one is middle C…) In fact I can also play Way Down Upon the Swanee River! *puffs up with pride* Oooh, new desk? We must get it nicely banged into shape…
I could hide the side ones with a nice pair of sideburns though… *hopeful face*
No!!! Whoever it was was clearly jealous – no doubt you had just winked at his girlfriend!
*laughs* That’s better than I can do! And Swanee River? I’m proud, too, the sudden!! And you led me to believe you couldn’t play anything for anything!
Hmm…Girls can’t grow sideburns.
I actually quite liked it, you should know.
*preens* I’m thinking of doing a concert tour. My repertoire may be a little limited but who doesn’t love to sing along to Three Blind Mice!
*cries* I know! Life is so unfair! But… I could knit some and glue them on!
You did?! *raises right eyebrow in surprised befuddlement*
I’d sing! I think I know most of the words, I think. Do I get free tickets?
*laughs* But you can grow your hair long and hide…the eyes!
Of course. I’m an odd beast, you know.
You know, I could come on tour with you! I could be your opening act – I’d try hard not to upstage you… Perhaps we could do a duet – can you play Three Blind Mice?
But then I wouldn’t be able to see…
*nods emphatically*
*laughs* I’ve never…tried! But it would be something. We could make a go of it.
Well, that’s why you can get those little clippy things.
You haven’t? Well, that’s understandable – it’s quite an advanced piece. But don’t worry – I’ll teach you the numbers. Did I mention I play by numbers rather than notes? Due to learning on an eight-note toy xylophone with numbers on the keys… I arranged it for piano myself. *sings – 3,2,1,3,2,1,8,6,8,5,3,1,2…*
I am not wearing bowties on my ears!
PS I hope you spotted the tags…
I’m nothing like Rafa! Bet you can’t name…four similarities!
Dark hair, quizzical left eyebrows, cute and adorable little smiles, and both on my list of heroes! See? And he plays guitar nearly as well as you play tennis… *swoons – twice*
He must be a horrible guitar player then! I could maybe see where I look like him…his hair is darker, though, I think.
I suspect he is – I was hoping to find a youtube clip but no. Do you think so? I’d have said about the same. But *whispers* actually I think your face is cuter and more adorable – less lopsided, see. Though Rafa’s wee asymmetrical smile is awfully cute too…
You could be right…it might be as dark after all. I suppose my ancestors came from the Mediterranean, so…there you have it. I’m not cute or adorable! *holds ears*
I’m always right – I thought we’d established that. And as for judgements on cuteness and adorableness, that’s my speciality…
Yes, but you think Woola is cute.
He is!!!
This is so spooky! I regret that I have challenged eyebrow muscles and like PorterGirl am unable to do that wonderfully sophisticated single brow raise – BUT there is no doubt that when I raise both together the left rises fractionally higher than the right. AND I’m left handed…so in theory it should be the other way round……….though, in truth I’m more ambidextrous – I do everything with a right dominant hand eg use scissors, sew, paint walls, use cutlery, mouse, like a right hander – but I can only write and draw with my left.
However, I throw things (tantrums, hissy fits, darts, balls etc) with either hand, but I would catch with my right
Does this mean I have a right hander’s eyebrow as well?
PS how to you get a still of David Tennants eyebrow to do that. Madame bibilophile has a lot of moving pictures in that way and I wanna know how to do it!
Ah! Another botox girl, clearly! I expected as much! I can’t draw with either hand – well, only abstracts, anyway. But I’m totally right-handed – my left-hand really only exists to keep me balanced. No, the “interesting” (for want of a better word) thing is that eyebrows don’t seem to be linked to right or left handedness – I’m surprised I’ve never seen a University publication on this matter. I wonder if Yale University would give me a huge advance to write one. It’s a subject of vital importance, I feel…
Goodness, I don’t make them – WAY beyond my skill level! Search for a gif – so in this case, Tennant eyebrow gif – and once you find one you like just treat it exactly as you would an image. But make sure your anti-virus is working – I’ve found a lot of these gifs lead to strange places…
You are SOOOOOOOOOOOO helpful and clever (flattery) I had absolutely no idea that that was what a gif was. I thought it was an image file which wasn’t a photo. Expect to see a rash of endless repetitive movements on my blog from here on in. I could go overkill on this, getting every word in a post to be a gif as well as the images, and make a post of stuttering stop and start frenzy coolcoolcoolcoolcoolcool
And thanks for the warning, indeed. I can imagine!
*preens* It took me ages to work out how to do it myself. But in the country of the blind, the one-eyed woman is the Queen of the Cyclops!
Well, I am impressed that you did work it out and do it yourself at all, no matter how long it took. I just took the easier softer option of asking an expert who had done all the hard work for me. Which took no time at all.
Now here is an interest! I am right browed, but left-handed. And Spock is half human. Where does that get us? I have a special eyebrow raising I used for my former students.
Aha! Clearly it means you are Spock’s twin sister! I thought so!
Yes, I think it was when I worked in the school that I honed my eyebrow skills too – useful, isn’t it? 🙂
And the eyes in the back of your head?
That would mean I have four eyebrows… *raises them in rotation*
I am deeply impressed by your talent.
*preens and simpers* So am I! 😉 (Look! I can wink at the same time too!)
*jaws drop in amazement* And can you whistle O Fhlùir na h-Alba,
cuin a chì sinn
an seòrsa laoich
a sheas gu bàs ‘son
am bileag feòir is fraoich,
a sheas an aghaidh
feachd uailleil Iomhair
‘s a ruaig e dhachaidh
air chaochladh smaoin?
Na cnuic tha lomnochd
‘s tha duilleach Foghair
mar bhrat air làr,
am fearann caillte
dan tug na seòid ud gràdh,
a sheas an aghaidh
feachd uailleil Iomhair
‘s a ruaig e dhachaigh
air chaochladh smaoin.
Tha ‘n eachdraidh dùinte
ach air dìochuimhne
chan fheum i bhith,
is faodaidh sinn èirigh
gu bhith nar Rìoghachd a-rìs
a sheas an aghaidh
feachd uailleil Iomhair
‘s a ruaig e dhachaidh
air chaochladh smaoin.
*nods* Backwards…
*faints* I’ve heard a lot about the Scots, but I had no idea….
😆
Now I’m feeling all discombobulated — and put out, too. I must have been in another line when the eyebrow-raising talent was being handed out! And oh, my, that would’ve been sooo handy when Domer was a wee lad — it looks oh-so-much-more-intimidating, don’t you agree?!!
It does! In fact, I’m amazed that child-rearing can be done without it! You should have got a false one that you could raise by pulling a string in your pocket… perhaps it’s not too late… 😉
I can’t raise my eyebrows independently…. or touch my nose with my tongue. Are you sure we’re related?
You can’t?! That does it! Clearly I’m right about the mix-up in the maternity ward – I’m sure I’m the long-lost daughter of a wealthy (and left-eyebrow-raising) Duke!
I love your scientific research! I can raise both eyebrows or my left independently but not my right alone. I think someone should look into why our species has evolved this way! Did it somehow benefit our ancestors to smirk at each other with their left brows?
Haha! I’m so glad you’ve proved your humanity – I’m concerned that I seem to have several extraterrestial readers! Perhaps it goes back to the days when everyone wore monocles and we just got stuck like this…
I am always jealous of people who can raise one eyebrow higher than the other – I tried to teach myself (though perhaps where I went wrong was to try raising the right one), but have had no success. Alas! And it’s such an effective expression, too.
Haha! Yes, you clearly weren’t paying attention in eyebrow-raising class! Get back to the mirror and start working on that left one… 😉
PVJ is left-handed too?! That’s an interest… I’m left-handed and left brow raising, although I can’t really do it! I just tried and looked like a freak. I’m concerned now because I just learned this morning that I can’t skip backwards either. I think I am the most uncoordinated human being ever!! Maybe I should have checked the Cyclops box… ho-hum.
He is! You creative people nearly always are *sobs a bit*. Haha! You can’t possibly look worse than my poor, lovely Rafa! Think of the wrinkles he’ll have when he’s old. You do know I’m now going to have to try skipping backwards, don’t you? If I don’t post for a while it will be due to broken limbs… and your fault!!
Too funny, FF! *laughing lots* Don’t go hurting yourself! We all need our book review fix that only you can provide and I shall’t be responsible. Skipping backwards is quite difficult to do. You wouldn’t think so, but it’s a surprise. I was trying to show a group of 6-year-olds and instead I made them laugh. Then I laughed at them when they couldn’t do it. It’s only fair, I say. Playground rules and all.
I do love Rafa, too. He’s had a tough season. I wonder if this is due to an eyebrow raising strain? It’s quite possible…
I thought I’d start easy by practicising skipping forwards – it’s been a while! I suspect even that picture may cause a wave of heart attacks and general fainting amongst the residents of sleepy Kirkintilloch. But once I’ve mastered skipping backwards I confidently expect to make the front page of the local paper – it’ll be the most exciting thing to have happened here since Wee Jimmy McWhackle came in sixth in the National Haggis-Hurling Games!
Haha! I suspect his game would improve dramatically if only he could find underpants that fit… 😉
Who would have thought ? 🙂 But the last option is absolutely hilarious ! I had a college administrator like that – her forehead looked like it had tape and it reflected light 😀
After spending most of the last couple of days raising eyebrows I might have to go the botox route myself – or at the very least invest in some good wrinkle cream! Don’t want to end up looking like Rafa… 😉
Thank you for not recommending another book. I would have run out of the room with both eyebrows raised.
I can only raise my RIGHT eyebrow independently. The left one refuses to raise unless the right one goes with it. So clearly, my right eyebrow is trying to escape the annoying “me, too” lefty.
Aha! This clearly means you’re an alien – a thing I’ve suspected for some time! I don’t think you’re either Vulcan or Klingon though – Bajoran, perhaps!
I was a Tribble in another life.
Miss S and I have just made ourselves cry laughing doing this. She can raise her right eyebrow, but I share PorterGirl’s deficiencies – mine don’t move independently!
The thing is once you’ve watched yourself doing it in the mirror it can put you off doing it in real life! I think I look OK when I raise my left one, but when I raise my right one I look more as if I’m in pain than being quizzical!
PS Miss S must be an alien if she’s a righty – just sayin’ 😉
Miss S and I just rolled around laughing again, she thinks she is normal!
Well, she probably is. For an alien…
While I think my left can go slightly higher if I work on it, I only have solid muscle control over the right. It’s the right that goes up in surprise/interest/whatever.
More importantly: that David Tennant gif is hypnotic…
Alien!!! I’ve been stunned to discover just how many extraterrestials read the blog – I must alert the CIA…
Haha! Isn’t it? And the worst thing is every time I see it I find myself compelled to do synchronised eyebrow-lifting with him! I think it’s becoming a tic… 😉
I had never noticed this, but I can barely raise my right eyebrow at all. The left one, though, provides plenty of drama!
Haha! I think we want a video of that! You could do a duet with David Tennant – enter the synchronised eyebrow-lifting event at the Rio Olympics…
Well, I can lift both my left and my right eyebrows, but they seem to go up the same amount! However, I do feel as though I am more inclined to lift the left when in a situation that requires eyebrow-raising.
Thank you for bringing this question to light… I will now be asking all of my family members, coworkers, and neighbors to raise their eyebrows in the name of science!
Gosh, you know what this means, don’t you? You’re more talented even than David Tennant! I vote for you to be the next Doctor Who!! You should make a gif of yourself raising them alternately – I bet it would go viral!
Haha! I must admit I have had much joy over the last couple of days knowing that people on three continents are all frantically raising their eyebrows – oh, the power of the blogosphere!! 😉
Humans right, Spock left, mine move together, and wrinkle my forehead, not a good look! So I mustn’t be human.
Haha! I’ve been surprised at just how many aliens pop into the blog! But be careful with that forehead wrinkling – you wouldn’t want to be mistaken for a Klingon… 😉
Nope, I better watch that!