Can You Write Like Leonardo Da Vinci? | QI

This clip is from QI Series R, Episode 8, 'Reflections' with Sandi Toksvig, Alan Davies, Joe Lycett, Zoe Lyons and Liza Tarbuck.

[lorewalkermaohao]

"Nope, I'm just a *** genius" reminds me of back when Alan was able to read that one book while getting his voice fed back to him without being interrupted.

[twocvbloke]

I've never actually seen anyone write a lowercase G in that style, only ever seen it as a typeface, and even here as a typed-out g, it's as I'd write a letter g; good game, good game... :P

[romulusnr]

To be fair, double-storey lowercase G is an absurd creation.

[litigioussociety]

I got the G, but if rushed, I would have been wrong, as my first thoughts were one of the bottom ones, since they match handwriting more.

[simontay]

I used to do mirror writing on the school bus window when it was misted up so people on the outside could read it. Characters are back to front and words written right to left.

[tygrkhat]

In my drawing classes in college I learned to draw from right to left to prevent smudging the picture.

[LeornianCyng]

Mirror writing on steamed glass like a window or Shower / Bath screen is really fun.

[Varrik]

It's killing me that Zoe was holding her paper upside-down and no one noticed! If she rotated it the whole thing would be written in mirror writing as expected.

[robynw]

When I was training to be a driving instructor, the class was asked what shape a stop sign was. Most said a hexagon. It is, in fact, an octagon. And yes, I got it right :)

[fleeb]

In middle-school I once wrote my entire homework assignment in mirror image. Flunked the assignment, but I had fun.

[EebstertheGreat]

The thing about the stacked g is that it is never handwritten these days, so people only have to recognize it, not form it. Learning to recognize a shape is easier than learning to form it yourself. Most of us couldn't accurately reproduce corporate logos that we can easily identify at a glance. But the open-tail g we actually write ourselves, so we have to know how to make it.

[safebox]

Took me halfway into the video to realise Alan was sitting on the wrong side.

[PeterGaunt]

One way to do a short bit of mirror writing is to hold a piece of card to your forehead and write on it while 'looking' at it from YOUR side not the PEN'S side. Start with capitals (easy) and work up to writing your signature.

[vittorioballeriocastoldi]

When i learned how to write by my self as a kid i started writing with my left hand in mirror writing, but at school i moved to my right hand. I still can write with my left hand, but only in mirror writing. I used to do that ta school to take notes because i kept bumping elbows with the left handed boy next to me

[nyyvrts]

I am left handed and had trouble smudging ink, when I have the room I turn the paper about 45 degrees to the right and write that way, I have seen many left-handed people turn their hand at a really weird angle but I hold the pen in a normal fashion, I am partially amby dexterous

[Galerak]

I noticed that the configuration of the guest's seating arrangements was mirrored, points to me 😁

[Miloggy]

Tried this, went "huh, mine isn't mirrored..." Only to realize all the letters in my name are symmetrical.

[TheGreatAtario]

I honestly don't know how anyone got the Statue Of Liberty thing wrong

[weswheel]

"Are you left handed, Alan?" was the best thing ever. I want that on a t-shirt, with his answer on the back.

[JimC]

It's easier for most folks to write mirror-reflected if you write normally with the dominant hand and at the same time write reflected with the other hand.