.: The Red Brick – Dubai College's Student Newspaper :.

Ever been told to stop yawning? Or been glared at by the teacher when a yawn unwittingly escapes your mouth during their lesson? Well, recent research revealed that yawning is actually designed to keep us AWAKE! Yes, that’s right. It is NOT a precursor to sleep as most parents and teachers would have us believe. It certainly isn’t because we’re bored during an interesting discourse on how many rivers and mountain ranges there are in Guagadudu, or when we’re being initiated into the stimulating world of trigonometry by our ebullient teachers..or even an inbuilt reflex to draw in more oxygen when our body is short of it, as older medical research suggests.

The real purpose of yawning, researches now say, is to COOL the brain so it operates more efficiently and actually keeps you AWAKE. Researchers Gary Hack, of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry and Andrew Gallup, of Princeton University, revealed that “The brain is exquisitely sensitive to temperature changes and therefore must be protected from overheating. Brains, like computers, operate best when they are cool.” So basically, when our brains heat up, say for example, during an ‘exciting’ history lesson, the yawns help it to cool down and keep us awake?

This theory explains another puzzling question: Why are yawns contagious? The brain cooling system says that when we contagiously yawn we are participating in an ancient, hardwired ritual that evolved to help groups stay alert and detect danger.

It’s not copying another person’s sleepiness, say scientists at the University of Albany in New York, who are behind the latest research. “We think contagious yawning is triggered by empathic mechanisms which function to maintain group vigilance,” says Dr Gordon Gallup, a leading researcher at the university. This belief is further supported by the observation of University of Maryland’s Robert Provine that paratroopers report yawning before jumping!

But there are other theories. It’s been suggested contagious yawning could be a result of an unconscious herding behaviour – a subtle way to communicate to those around us, similar to when flocks of birds take flight at the same time. Yet another theory suggests contagious yawning might have helped early humans communicate their alertness levels and co-ordinate sleeping times. Basically, if one decided it was time to sleep they would tell the others by yawning and they would do it in return to show they agreed.

And as further proof that humans originate from the ape family, apparently chimpanzees also suffer from contagious yawning, according to researchers at Kyoto University in Japan. They are thought to be the only other creatures, apart from humans, who do so.

My take on the matter? Yawn on!

First we experienced a tide of poppies patriotically pinned to every shirt, raising funds for the British Legion. Then it was time for the onslaught of the pink breast cancer ribbons. Movember was greeted by teachers proudly sporting striking handlebars and students, well, parading bits of fluff that made unimpressive substitutes for the luxuriant whiskers that would show their solidarity with those with prostate cancer. By the time you realize they’ve been growing moustaches, December would have rolled by and it’ll be time to shave again. And while the novelty of wearing various symbols to demonstrate your support for causes may be wearing a little thin, it has never been so essential than now to raise awareness about World AIDS Day, the 1st of December, which is likely to be heralded with red ribbons.

And why is it so vital to raise awareness about it? Because by being one of the biggest killers in the world today, AIDS, or Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome, has taken more than 25 million lives worldwide since 1981, the start of the global pandemic. The results of surveys published in www.usaid.gov show that in 2008, there were approximately 33.4 million people around the world living with HIV/AIDS, including 2.1 million children under age 15. AIDS, caused by the Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), is a wily enemy: it does not strike by direct attack. It chips away at your body’s defences instead, destroying your T-helper cells, a type of white blood cell, gradually weakening the immune system until the body is left fragile and vulnerable. It then lets other pathogens do the dirty work: without the T-helper cells that fight disease, even something as trivial as a cold or the flu can be fatal. (Adapted from www.homehealth-uk.com).

Www.aids-children.org shared a touching account of an AIDS sufferer, John, who now has a flourishing business due to timely intervention by a family strengthening programme in Rwanda.

“I had an active life: a job, a salary and many friends. One day, all this disappeared because I found out that I was HIV-positive. It was not easy at all. When I was told that I was HIV-positive, I thought it was a joke, I didn’t believe it. I spent several weeks feeling sorry for myself, asking myself what happened to me. I cried a lot, I didn’t want to accept that I was infected. I could not imagine that I would stay alive for more than a week. When the news of my illness reached my office, I was dismissed outright. My boss thought I would either die very soon or contaminate the other colleagues.

I found myself alone without friends or a job, and I realized that there was a problem. I began to accept the hard reality that it was necessary to fight to survive. I had no money, no savings and could not imagine that I would overcome this situation. My girlfriend left me, and I found myself alone with a six-month-old baby. “

What is most ironic is that AIDS is a preventable disease, being transferred by the sharing of bodily fluids. The only time when it is not avertable is when HIV is passed on genetically. Something as simple as making sure you are using a sterile needle before you receive an injection and practising safe sex habits can save you from a lifetime of suffering. Buying the crimson ribbon and donating some money to a worthy cause has the potential to raise awareness and contribute towards discovering a cure for the illness, and subsequently change someone’s life for the better. Every penny makes a difference, so the power to put a smile on a sufferer’s face may lie in your hands- pin on the red ribbon!

* All sites were accessed on 26th November 2011.

Society decays. Morality wanes. The last 50 years have especially overseen a rapid period of cultural homogenisation, with Western “Popular Culture” permeating the very fabric of the world’s societies. Some would argue that this brings us together as a race in these troubled times, eliminating cultural differences but those who truly value their own culture, believing in its intrinsic pre-eminence are irrevocably saddened. We seem to blindly subscribe to a more hedonistic way of life, believing in seeking ephemeral pleasures in the “here” and “now,” scorning spirituality and simple living, elevating the importance of attaining the material pleasures available to those in the developed world. Greed, corruption, promiscuity are on the rise while trust, empathy for all life forms and other perceived morals ebb.

So then, where does change come from? Religion offers hope- (“Whenever righteousness is on the decline, unrighteousness in ascendant, I body myself forth” – Bhagavad Gita 4.7) yet religion can unfortunately polarise too many opinions in this day and age. Maybe science can provide an effective solution.

Oxytocin is a hormone that was known solely as a reproductive hormone, released during sex and childbirth. Yet, research conducted by neuroeconomist Dr. Paul Zak suggests that at the root of all acts of charity, empathy and trust is an increase in oxytocin levels secreted by the hypothalamus in the brain. Empathy can be seen as the cornerstone of morality. Man is a social animal and being able to relate to other people, feel their pain and try to alleviate it, are fundamental characteristics of a moral person. This central position of empathy in the context of measuring morality is beautifully explained in the treatise, “A Theory of Moral Sentiments” by the Adam Smith Institute. It is oxytocin that is now believed to be at the root of empathy within individuals. A series of clinical trials conducted by Dr. Zak, from the highlands of Papua New Guinea to the English countryside provide conclusive evidence that on a biochemical level, a rise in oxytocin triggers the urge to give, in addition to fostering feelings of trust and empathy within most individuals. One might argue that the increase in oxytocin is reflective of a correlation between the two factors yet the exhaustive nature of the survey and examination of 8 other similar molecules in the oxytocin production system that also rise increasingly point to a causation.

There are of course, exceptions. 5% of the world’s population is unable to produce the levels of oxytocin required to manifest feelings of empathy and trust within them. This discrepancy was often amongst those who had a chequered past, devoid of a stable family unit or women who had suffered sexual abuse. Hence, the oxytocin generation system seems to be dependent on nurture as well as nature. Further factors inhibiting the production of oxytocin were exposure to prolonged periods of stress and interestingly also, levels of testosterone in the body. A large proportion of testosterone being produced, inhibits the production of oxytocin and in turn, inhibits the empathy that such an individual feels for others. Tests conducted by Dr. Zak’s institute also suggested that this trust deficit engendered in such individuals due to low levels of oxytocin also leads to an increase in malignant thoughts and actions towards others, further emphasizing the link between oxytocin levels and the morality of the actions that we then do.

So is oxytocin a feasible route for arresting man’s social disintegration? Do we treat a lack of basic social values and ethics almost like a medical condition and use oxytocin as a medication that would help rehabilitate people in to society and uplift society at the same time? Should we as individuals actively try to increase our oxytocin levels, through touch, frequent outward displays of affection, swimming, nasal inhalers for our mental health and well-being? When society is filled with love and trust, prosperity and well being naturally follow. Yet, this idea of oxytocin as a magic bullet seems to be innately flawed in my opinion as human nature is complex and to think that mankind’s historically never-ending, overabundant wrongfulness will suddenly completely cease to exist from the ingestion of a magical, chemical, morality pill is doubtful. Although, the research is thought-provoking, primarily because it gives credence to the idea that man is innately good from inside, nothing in the body happens in isolation and relying on a molecule with a 3-minute half-life to shape our society leaves me with a certain degree of scepticism.