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From New Scientist, 19 August 2006:

It's in your hands
   If you have access to a photocopier, this couldn't be simpler. Take a picture of your right hand, palm down. Now measure the lengths of your index and ring fingers, starting at the crease nearest your palm. Then divide the former by the latter to give your very own "second to fourth digit ratio" or 2D:4D. Not impressed? Well you should be, because this little number says a lot about you - from your sexuality and personality to athletic prowess and the diseases you are likely to get.
   Your 2D:4D seems to be a measure of the levels of sex hormones you were exposed to when you were in your mother's womb, explains John Manning, a pioneer in this field from the University of Centra; Lancashire, UK. The more testosterone, the longer your ring finger will be; the more estrogen, the longer the index finger. Women tend to have a 2D:4D close to 1, while men are usually lower at around 0.96. How much you differ from the average is an indicator of how feminised or masculinised you are.
   Studies show that the traditional "male" qualities such as assertiveness and skill at certain mathematical tasks such as rotations are more likely to be found in both men and women with a low 2D:4D. Low-ratio men tend to have more sexual partners and more children than high-ratio men, while the most fertile women are those with high 2D:4D. High-ratio people of both sexes are most likely to be neurotic. Controversially, gay men seem to have relatively high 2D:4D and lesbians have a low ratio. Your ratio can even predict your susceptibility to certain diseases: women with higher ratios seem to be more susceptible to breast and cervical cancer, while high-ratio men tend toward heart disease.
   On a more positive note, anyone with a low 2D:4D is likely to have higher than average aerobic efficiency, which means you should be could at endurance sports. So, if you are deciding whether or not to sign up for the next marathon, head for the photocopier.

No one who knows me will be surprised to hear that my finger measurements sorta screw up their theory. The first time I tried this, I came out with a ratio of 0.91. This couldn't possibly be right, so I did it again, this time stretching my index finger as much as possible; I managed to get the ratio up to 0.93. I wonder if I should get in touch with them, and ask if they know what a ratio that low is supposed to mean?

gacked from bcjennyo

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