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Strange as it seems we yawn more in winter to keep the brain cool, according to scientists. [Agencies] |
閱讀難度:
Scientists at Princeton University found a big yawn can regulate the temperature of the brain and prevent over-heating, Daily Mail reported.
The researchers found that half of the study participants yawned in winter while only a quarter yawned in summer.
From this they reasoned that yawning cools the brain, which at first seems counter-intuitive. Surely you would want to cool the brain by yawning more in summer?
But according to the theory, yawning cools the brain via a heat exchange with cooler air drawn in during the process. This system therefore wouldn't work on a scorching summer's day.
It could help explain why humans become confused and in extreme heat as the brain has limited ways of cooling itself down. (點擊《每日郵報》查看原文)
打哈欠可為大腦降溫
???????普林斯頓大學(xué)的科學(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn),打一個大大的哈欠可以調(diào)節(jié)大腦的溫度,防止其過熱。
???????據(jù)英國《每日郵報》報道,研究顯示,有一半的研究對象在冬天打哈欠,在夏天打哈欠的僅有四分之一。
???????由此我們推斷出打哈欠可以使大腦降溫。乍一看這似乎與直覺相悖,人們肯定都想在夏天通過打哈欠來幫大腦降溫吧。
???????但從理論上來講,只有通過與吸入的冷空氣進(jìn)行熱量交換,打哈欠才能為大腦降溫。所以在酷熱的夏日,這套降溫機(jī)制根本行不通。
???????另外,由于大腦自己降溫的方式有限,這也就能解釋為什么高溫會使人變糊涂了。
(China.org.cn October 10, 2011) |