Hooked on Science: Can your big toe determine your athletic potential?

Materials

• Several people

Instructions

• STEP 1: Take off your shoes and observe each other's feet.
• STEP 2: Determine whose big toe is longer than their second toe and whose big toe is not longer than their second toe.
• STEP 3: Race those whose big toe is longer than their second toe against those whose big toe is not longer than their second toe.
• STEP 4: Make observations of each person's motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict the future motion of each person.

Explanation

If your big toe is longer than your second toe, foot experts say you possess a natural advantage in skiing, sprinting and other sports. Longer big toes allow you to lean your full body weight onto your big toe easily. Your big toe can exert about twice as much force as your second toe.