The team matched spikes in carbon dioxide and isoprene -- a chemical we also exhale -- levels with the most exciting parts of the movies. Further, they were able to determine the difference in the concentration of chemicals between funny and suspenseful scenes. They still haven't figured out why our bodies produce those two chemicals in bigger amounts during the most thrilling parts of a film. But a possible explanation is that we tend to breathe more quickly and become restless when we're tense or excited.

Filmmakers could use the same technique to monitor test audiences' breaths and gauge whether their movies would do well, or if they're boring enough to warrant going back to editing. The team also believes that their study could provide data for future research on the human respiration and metabolism. For now, they're still busy assessing even more data collected from viewers during Star Wars screenings.