You might have surmised that my awareness of the world at large, for the most part, comes from the MSN homepage. I watch the news every now and then but I either get so depressed that I have to take to my bed in order to pull the covers over my head and block out the madness/badness/sadness of it all OR my blood pressure rises so high that every vein in my body is distended so much that I look like I am a mass of earthworms. So MSN it is.
Today there was what I thought would be a fascinating article on why yawns are contagious. This is something I have pondered quite a bit, usually after someone has yawned and I, like a sheep, yawned right back. So, quite enthusiastically I double clicked and prepared to be enlightened. I found myself yawning all by myself because it was mind-numbingly boring. Basically all it said was that autistic children yawned less when watching a video of yawning people than kids without autism. The article went on to say that yawning may be triggered by empathy, an emotion most autistic people don't possess.
The article also suggested that "Contagious yawning is seen in only a few other primates and studies have suggested the behavior has played an evolutionary role in helping groups avoid danger by keeping animals awake and alert." For Pete's sake. Next they'll be saying that we learned to pass gas and cheat on our income taxes from primates.
The article concluded by saying that more research is needed to fully understand why one yawn leads to another. That's code for: I Need Another Grant for A Million Bucks So I Can Continue To Do Nothing and Write More Meaningless Reports So I Can Get Another Grant for A Million Bucks So Can Continue to . . . you get the point.
On a brighter note, Ron and I celebrated our 26th anniversary with dinner at PF Chang's and dessert at The Cheesecake Factory. Ron got a piece of carrot cake that was as big as Zooey's head. Not even lying a little. We capped the celebration by watching "Flipping Out," which continues to prove the point that insanity pays.
3 comments:
It always seems to be the case with these studies - the main conclusion is that more research is needed!
Ah well, I suppose it's a step in the right direction.
Good for you going out to celebrate - PF Changs and then the Cheesecake factory for dessert! Not that' smart.
Cheers
congrats on 26 years.
hope all is well.
see you tonight.
um, i am reading a book right now that proves/disproves old wives tales and other random beliefs, like "are you safe showering during a rainstorm?" and the answer is no, because if your house is not grounded and it gets struck, lightning is more than likely going to run along your metal pipes. it happened to one lady. the lightning went thru her mouth because she was brushing her teeth with the water on, and the "bolt" exited out of her rear end because she had rubber flip flops on... anyway, there's a chapter about why yawning is contagious. i haven't read it yet, but i'll post it once i do.
also, congratulations on 26 years. my parents celebrated their 36 year anniversary a day before yours. my mom spent it in the outpatient waiting room, and my dad got her a singing hallmark card. haha.
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