On Tuesday, March 12, Robert Provine, professor of psychology, talked to WYPR’s “Midday with Dan Rodricks” about his new book, “Curious Behavior: Yawning, Laughing, Hiccuping, and Beyond.”
Rodricks asked Provine why he chose to research mundane – and even occasionally embarrassing – behaviors such as yawning, belching and farting.
“It’s fun to do, and it’s something that can get junior science students involved right away. It also has a lot of rewards for the serious scientist, which is what got me interested in it in the first place,” he said. “By looking at elemental behaviors, such as the instincts of yawning, laughing, coughing, sneezing, belching, and so on, this provides us with a molecular approach to human behavior. The opportunity to look at these exciting and important acts is only available because we’ve overlooked them. I believe that they will lead to important insights.”
The full interview can be heard here.
Tags: CAHSS, Psychology
