We Humans Tend to Walk Counter-Clockwise
Newser • • world
Key Points:
- A study by Spanish and Japanese physicists found that people naturally tend to drift counterclockwise while walking, regardless of handedness, environment, or nationality.
- The research involved hundreds of volunteers and demonstrated this bias consistently in various settings, including labs, schoolyards, and individual walking.
- The preference for counterclockwise movement was immediate and pronounced, even in countries with differing pedestrian norms like Japan and Spain.
- Researchers suggest this bias may indicate an underlying biomechanical asymmetry, though the exact cause remains unexplained.
- Experts believe these findings could have implications for understanding crowd behavior and improving emergency evacuation strategies.