Mephistophel, Tennessee (IP) Scientists have discovered that the act of flatulence committed by one individual can induce the same act in another nearby individual
They introduced a diet of eggs, beer, and beans to a study group. After the proper amount of time elapsed one of the individuals liberated a cloud of wind from his lower extremities and soon another individual reacted with an identical response.
After a period of time the scientists observed that the phenomenon became ubiquitous amongst the study group and they were able to arrive at a valid and scientifically sound conclusion that "empathy" was the mechanism responsible for the observed reaction between the subjects of the experiment.
The scientists that performed this experiment wore gas masks and warn individuals who are tempted to duplicate this experiment to do the same and not to conduct the experiment where combustible materials are being oxidized via the use of an open flame.