Why we yawn: How long can you watch this video before you succumb?
- Share via
The folks over at ASAP Science have pulled out their dry-erase markers to explain why we yawn. It’s an appropriate topic given that today is World Sleep Day.
But, as these smart people explain, yawning isn’t necessarily about being tired. Guinea pigs yawn to display anger. Human fetuses yawn. We likely yawn as a form of empathy -- which explains its contagiousness -- and we also do it to keep our brains from melting.
OK, that’s an exaggeration. But many believe we yawn to pull extra oxygen into our lungs; ASAP says, rather, yawning likely helps to cool our brains when needed.
See how long you can make it through this video before you yawn. (I yawned before the title appeared.)
Wake up! And follow me at @AmyTheHub
ALSO:
Colin Powell posts selfie, tells Ellen: ‘Eat your heart out’
Harvard is looking to fill a new job: Wikipedian in residence
Infographic: The cost of being Tooth Fairy has skyrocketed
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
