Why do we yawn?
It might be your brain's built-in cooling system.
The answer
Research suggests yawning helps cool the brain by drawing in a large gulp of cool air and stretching the jaw to increase blood flow. This thermoregulatory mechanism keeps the brain at its optimal temperature. Yawning is also contagious due to empathy-driven mirror neuron activity, which is why seeing or even reading about yawning can trigger one.
Source: Frontiers in Neuroscience
- neuroscience
- brain
- empathy
- biology
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