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Shatner can't make the Vulcan hand sign

I'm sure it't's genetic. I can make my bend my tongue and make it look like a taco. Not everyone can do that. I can't do the Vulcan salute though.
 
I can't do it. I think it's genetic, having to do with the construction of the hand.

I believe there's a bit in ST3, when he asks McCoy "how many fingers am I holding up?", where it's shot so that the bottom part of Shat's fingers and back of his hand can't be seen, and it's taped into position.


Rubber band your fingers apart for several hours. I did that in 7th grade and the ability was permanent. You won't regret it.

Heh, yeah, for me in college waiting for class to start I would hold my fingers together and make the gesture until eventually I could do it without holding them. I always did it with the same hand but after I figured out how to do it I could do it with the other hand as well.
 
I suppose it's like whistling. I can't whistle for the life of me, but many people seem to find it totally effortlessly easy. I was surprised to learn that even Zachary Quinto, the new Spock himself can't do the Vulcan hand sign and his fingers had to be glued for J.J. to get a shot of him doing it!
Not quite. Quinto could do the Vulcan salute easily enough with his left hand

lv08nimquint4.jpg

(image thanks to TrekMovie.com)

because he is left-handed, but had difficulty making the salute with his right. (After all these years, I still can't often do it easily left-handed, so I can relate.) I recall reading that Quinto spent several weeks rubber-banding his right ring and little fingers together trying to train his hand to be able to do the salute for the camera. I guess maybe they thought a little insurance was in order?
 
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^You've got to gulp air into the stomach. Open your epiglottis and let that atmosphere in (do not attempt while drinking or swimming :P ).

Something just occurred to me, has there ever been an episode where a character has been portrayed as being unable to form the Vulcan salute? It seems a common enough disability--in that at least two Trek actors, including one portraying a Vulcan--can't do it, or do it easily, that you'd think it would show up in a random sampling of a dozen or so humans who've attempted to return the salute...
 
McCoy struggled with it in Journey to Babel as well (although my memory fails me on whether or not he actually couldn't make the salute or just complained about it).
 
He tried to do it(I don't know if they showed it, someone will have to check), and complained, "That hurts worse than the uniform."
 
Yeah, all it takes is some practice. I also couldn't do it originally.;)

Same here. I originally couldn't do it, but with some practice could do it with one of my hands, then eventually do it with both.
I had a hard time whistling at one time, but now I can do that as well.
All I need to do now is learn to blow bubble gum.
 
I actually couldn't do the damn Vulcan salute until I was about twelve years old.

I still can't with my right hand.
 
McCoy struggled with it in Journey to Babel as well (although my memory fails me on whether or not he actually couldn't make the salute or just complained about it).

He tried to do it(I don't know if they showed it, someone will have to check), and complained, "That hurts worse than the uniform."
http://tos.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/2x10/Journey_to_Babel_018.JPG
http://tos.trekcore.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=62
 
I can't snap my fingers well, and I can't raise my left eyebrow, and I have no troublesome wisdom teeth. I'm actually a Cylon! :devil:
 
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