Mornings with Dave & Jen

Have you taken the “ruler drop” test”?

Photo: clipart.com, WYXL 97.3 Lite Rock

Have you taken the “ruler drop” test”?

How’s your brain today? Do you have the dumb? 😆

There’s an at-home test for that…and it’s gone viral!

It’s called the “ruler-drop test” according to the BBC…here’s what to do:

  1. Sit in a chair with your arm on a table so that your wrist is hanging over the edge and turn your wrist so your thumb and index finger are facing up.
  2. Have your friend/helper pinch the very top of the ruler where the numbers finish…the zero should be dangling directly above your thumb.
  3. Without warning, tell your friend to drop the ruler and with just your thumb and  index finger, try to catch the ruler as fast as possible.
  4. Write down the measurement on your ruler where your fingers landed.

Look at the centimeter side of it (if it has one…remember this is the British Broadcasting Company!) or you can just convert it online into inches…do it a few time to determine your average reaction time.

  • If you catch it at a distance less than 7.5 cms (2.9 inches) that’s EXCELLENT
  • If you catch it between 7.5 and 15.9 cms (6.2 inches) you’re ABOVE AVERAGE
  • If you catch it between 15.9 and 20.4 cms (8 inches) that’s AVERAGE
  • Between 20.4 and 28 cms (11 inches) is BELOW AVERAGE
  • Anything over 28 cms is POOR (did you even CATCH the ruler? 😆)

It’s simple, fun and not without merit: Not only will the results of this test show you how well your brain is functioning but it can also be a window into your overall risk of death.

One study found there’s a strong relationship between reaction times and risk of death from coronary heart disease, stroke and respiratory disease!

Here’s Dave’s attempt with Justin of Z95.5…tell us how well YOU do!

@literock97.3

Justin from @Z955 and I take the “ruler test” to test our reaction time and brain health. Have you done it? We’ll show you how…see if you can beat our numbers! #fyp #rulertest #brainhealth #ithaca #radio #z955

♬ Little Things – Adrián Berenguer

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