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The most scientifically backed theory about why we yawn is brain temperature regulation. Inhaling air can help cool brain temperature down. Even thinking about yawning can cause you to do it. It’s ...

Yawning seems like such a simple act, yet it holds surprising power over us. Just watching someone yawn — even a stranger — can suddenly trigger the irresistible urge to yawn yourself. Why does this ...

Given that we’ve literally grown up with them, we often know surprisingly little about how our bodies work. This new series aims to fill the gaps All vertebrates yawn, or indulge in a behaviour that’s ...

Humans yawn from their earliest days–even babies still inside the womb can yawn. Photo by Flickr user Björn Rixman Snakes and fish do it. Cats and dogs do it. Even human babies do it inside the womb.

Contagious yawning isn’t a myth. It’s a real, scientifically demonstrable phenomenon. We yawn when we see someone else yawn. The sound of yawning makes us yawn. The yawning contagion can even spread ...

The human body is full of mysteries. We often find ourselves questioning various reflexes. For instance, why do our eyes twitch? Why do we get a brain freeze? And why do we have hiccups? But among ...

Yawning is an automatic body response to tiredness or stress. Less commonly, excessive yawning can also be a sign of an underlying health condition. It can be related to the vagus nerve, sleep ...

What is yawning? And why do we do so much of it? Neuroscientist and yawn expert Robert Provine says it's "ancient and autonomic." It stems from early evolution and is common to many creatures—even ...