Ep 4. Is Yawning Contagious?

In the third season of the popular science television program, Mythbusters, episode four is focused on answering the question, "Is yawning contagious?". Hosted by Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, the show brings together a team of experts and researchers in an attempt to uncover the truth behind various myths and legends.

The episode begins with a brief overview of the concept of yawning and its potential origins. The team then begins their investigation by attempting to determine the factors that can influence whether or not someone will yawn. They look at things like fatigue levels, boredom, and ambient temperature, as well as individual differences in physiology and psychology.

The team then turns their attention to the central question of the episode: whether or not yawning is contagious. They start by showing footage of people yawning and asking the audience to observe their own responses. They then conduct a controlled experiment in which a group of test subjects are shown a video of people yawning and are asked to report whether or not they feel the urge to yawn themselves.

The results of the experiment are somewhat inconclusive, with some subjects reporting that they did feel the urge to yawn while others did not. The team decides to explore the idea further by looking at different groups of people, including children, animals, and even robots, to see if the contagiousness of yawning is universal across different populations.

Throughout the episode, the team also takes time to debunk some common misconceptions about yawning, such as the idea that yawning is primarily a sign of boredom or rudeness. They explain the various functions that yawning can serve, from regulating brain temperature to signaling that an animal is ready to sleep.

As the episode progresses, the team continues to experiment and explore different ideas related to yawning. They examine the role that social cues and expectations can play in whether or not someone yawns, and also look at the effect that different stimuli, such as music and sound effects, can have on the contagiousness of yawning.

By the end of the episode, the team has amassed a significant amount of data and has drawn some fascinating conclusions about the nature of yawning and its contagiousness. While they do not necessarily come to a definitive answer about the question posed in the title of the episode, they do shed some light on the various factors that can influence whether or not someone will yawn in response to seeing someone else yawn.

Overall, the third season of Mythbusters continues to be a fascinating and entertaining exploration of science and popular culture. This episode in particular is sure to capture the interest of viewers who have ever wondered why we yawn and whether or not it's something we can control. Whether you're a longtime fan of the show or a newcomer to the world of science-based television, this episode is definitely worth a watch.