Congratulations guys. This and all your submissions were really enjoyable. (That was a groan-worthy pirate pun, Fraser. But awesome none the less.) <

I wonder if we could measure dexterity the same way as we measure hearing. In a hearing test the audiologist charts how loud a sound must be for you to hear it, going through a range of different frequencies. People with normal hearing generally require the same loudness across all pitches (anything under 20dB is okay). People with conductive hearing loss have a uniform drop in perception (all sounds need to be louder for them to hear them), whereas people with sensorineural hearing loss can usually hear lower pitches better than higher ones. Hearing ability is plotted on an audiogram, with frequency (pitch) on the x-axis and intensity (loudness) on the y-axis. Normal hearing would be a fairly straight line across the top of the y-axis, conductive loss would be fairly straight but lower on the y-axis, and sensorineural would show a falling curve. (Some examples: http://www.audiologyawareness.com/hearinfo_agramdem.asp) I think this could transfer well to dexterity. The x-axis could be the complexity of the task and the y-axis the level of difficulty a person has with that task. So overall impaired movement would be like conductive hearing loss, and difficulty with only more complex tasks would be like sensorineural hearing loss. <

At the War Memorial Museum in Caen, there is a room in the WWII exhibit that is empty except for a giant photograph of Hitler staring down at you as you walk in. That is disconcerting in itself, but what really makes it creepy is that the walls and domed ceiling are specially designed to amplify and reflect back any sounds, even just your own breathing. You really get the feeling that you're being watched and can't make a move without it being noticed. I think this auditory experience is really effective in invoking the fear and claustrophobia of Nazi Germany. The whole museum uses sound very effectively, such as increasing use of gunshot and explosion sound effects as you progress through the timeline. I absolutely loved the whole museum, but the Hitler room in particular left a lasting impression on me. <

I cannot help but be reminded of Arrested Development and Buster's epic struggle to adapt to losing a hand to a loose seal. This is the only clip I could find on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSsK7lshuMg <

Art and music are two areas that could be difficult for people with manual dexterity problems. Most musical instruments require the use of hands (voice would be an exception). I suppose yet again computers are making things more accessible. I was reading about researchers in the UK that were designing a system to allow people to create music through eye movements. Of course, I don't remember where I read that now. And computers could help with creating visual art as well. <

I would say I float between 2-4, sometimes dipping down to 1. I've had a few horrible days at 0. I think it affects me more than just 5% of the time, though - hands are used for everything! School is especially frustrating, since writing is usually the only method of evaluation. I too am thankful for computers. My friend's mum (an OT) also showed me a new method of holding my pencil, where I rest it between my index and middle fingers (rather than between index and thumb). This is a much more neutral position and enables me to write for short periods of time, which I couldn't do before. It amazes me that nobody ever mentioned the possibility of changing my grip until I was in my second year at UVic. This method is called the Monk's Grip. I couldn't find that in a quick google search, but the first photo on this page shows what I mean: http://www.paperpenalia.com/handwriting.html With regards to your scale, Allison, I think it would be good to incorporate into your descriptions more specific things besides clumsiness. For example: Strength - like you said, opening tough jars vs opening pop bottles, Duration - writing a note vs writing an exam, Control - ability to eat vs working fine needlepoint... Just some thoughts. <

This is actually the view from my cabin porthole while crossing the North Sea, heading towards the Orkney Islands. We were in a sailing vessel and the waves were so high the windows were leaking on the highest deck. When I took this photo, we were being tossed around by hurricane force winds. The energy I was thinking of was wave energy, and the research facillity is the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney (http://www.emec.org.uk/). Brianna, you were pretty much correct. Just needed the right location. Thanks for all your guesses. (It does look like a planet, doesn't it?) <