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Body Tricks: Doorway - did it work for you?

Host_Ryan - One Show team | 12:00 UK time, Friday, 20 February 2009


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In his final Body Trick film, Marty Jopson looked at muscle memory, to see if your muscles can independently move by themselves.


To do this he devised a test where participants stood in a doorway, with their arms by their sides, pushing the backs of their hands against the doorframe for 30 seconds. When they moved away the majority found that their arms raised by themselves.


Watch the film to see for yourself.


Okay, here comes the science. The cerebellum is the part of the brain that sends signals to the rest of your body. It is located at the back of your head and its function is to co-ordinate muscle movements and to maintain posture and equilibrium.


While you press your hand against the doorframe, your brain is sending signals to your muscles to raise your arms. Because you are doing it long enough without actually raising your arms, essentially the signal is still there and when you step out of the doorway and relax your arms they automatically raise on their own - it is beyond our conscious control.


Watch all the Body Tricks films


Take the Stroop Test


Try Levitation for yourself


But how did you get on? Did your arms rise like the participants in the film? Or did you manage to defy scientific explanation? Let us know.

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