Humans prefer to walk anticlockwise, scientists find – but reason is unclear

Scientists have discovered that humans have a natural tendency to turn left and walk in an anticlockwise direction across multiple countries from Spain to Japan. The exact mechanism behind this left-turn bias remains unclear and is still being investigated.

Understanding natural human movement patterns could have practical applications in robotics, architecture, urban planning, and navigation systems design.

From Spain to Japan, experiments have repeatedly shown a left-turn bias, but exact mechanic ‘is still an open question’ “I’m not an ambi-turner,” laments Derek Zoolander in the eponymous noughties satire about the world’s hottest male model and his rare catwalk hangup. “It’s a problem I’ve had since I was a baby … I can’t turn left.” Now, research suggests that the fashionista’s career-threatening quirk was even more unusual than previously thought. Tests reveal that when people are ambling about, they have a natural tendency to turn to the left and walk in an anticlockwise direction. Continue reading...