If one person yawns, why does everyone else in the room want to yawn?
Lynn
Garland, Texas
Dear Lynn:
Yawning is extremely contagious -- 55% of people who witness someone yawn will yawn within five minutes. If a visually

impaired person hears a tape of someone yawning, he or she is likely to yawn as well. Face it, the likelihood of you making it

to the end of this answer without looking like one of these gaping maws is unlikely.

Although the contagious nature of yawning is well established, we know less about why this is so. Researchers are currently

giving the topic some serious attention. One theory suggests it's a holdover from a period in evolutionary history when

yawning served to coordinate the social behavior of a group of animals. A recent study postulates that contagious yawning

could be part of the "neural network involved in empathy."

While the mystery of contagious yawning has yet to be solved, perhaps researchers are closing in on an answer. On the other

hand, given the subject matter, we wouldn't blame them for falling asleep at the wheel. In the meantime, give the "yawn

challenge" a try -- it's tougher than it looks.
http://ask.yahoo.com/20050623.html