4 ms·
I know you're kidding, but can anyone explain why people believe the 5 second rule? The instant food falls to the ground it's going to pick up any dust / mites
by paulsutter 11y ago
I know you're kidding, but can anyone explain why people believe the 5 second rule?
The instant food falls to the ground it's going to pick up any dust / mites / microbes, so it will be no less and no more infected after 5 seconds. It's perplexing to me, what mental model explains how the food is cleaner during the first 4 seconds on the ground?
Edit: the Wikipedia article is pretty clear that any bacteria attach basically immediately (each of the cases when tested showed no difference after 5 seconds).
- guelo 11y agoI believe in a indefinite period of time rule. The food might pickup dust / mites / microbes, so what? There are dust/mites/microbes everytime you breath. You probably swallow other people's shit particles several times a day. It's OK, you have an immune system that can deal with it. If you do (very very rarely) get an infection we live in magical times where an antibiotic pill will clear it right up. You could lick the floor at the sports stadium bathroom and you'll be OK. People need to stop it with the cooties crap.
- technomancy 11y agoThe wikipedia article claims most people who invoke the rule use it in jest, but there is research that indicates different surfaces allow for different speeds of bacterial spread: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five-second_rule https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five-second_rule
- shanemhansen 11y agoTime for some true confessions. My mental risk model tells me I'm not more likely to get sick if the food touches some surface. I'm a pessimist so I generally assume all those bacteria are already on the food and/or in my body. I don't know if my risk model matches reality or not.