Walking in circles

Here is a sure way to win a bet! Challenge anybody you know to walk blindfolded straight down the sidewalk without going off the edge. He is sure to lose, because quite soon he will be walking in circles.

People who have been lost in a fog or in a snowstorm have often walked for hours imagining that they were headed in a straight path. After a while, they arrive right back where they started from.

The reason why we cant guide ourselves without our eyes is that the human body is asymmetrical. The heart, for instance, is on the left side, while the liver is on the right. The skeleton of our body is not symmetrical, either. The spine is not straight, and our feet and thighs are different on each side. All of this means that the structure of the muscles in our body is asymmetrical.

Since our muscles differ, this affects how we walk, our gait. When you close your eyes, the control of your gait depends on the muscle structure of your body, and one side forces the other to turn slightly. As you walk further, this slight turn increases, and pretty soon you are walking in a circle!

By the way, this is true of not only of the muscles in our legs, but in our arms, too. Tests were made in which blindfolded people tried to drive a car in a straight line. In about 20 seconds, every person in the test began to drive off the road! This is just one good reason to keep your eyes open when walking or driving.