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Why do fingers become pruney? - Mark Changizi

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TEDEd Animation

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Why do fingers become pruney when they get wet? Likely, for the same reasons that tires have treads. Mark Changizi examines the evolutionary reasons for pruney fingers, while exploring natural and manmade phenomena, like river networks, that operate similarly.

Although the “rain tread” hypothesis predicts both (i) the shapes of the wrinkles and (ii) the results of the behavioral experiment, which of these successful predictions provides greater support for the hypothesis?

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  • Director Lippy
  • Educator Mark Changizi
  • Narrator Mark Changizi

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