<p>Now it’s the 30-second rule.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.startribune.com/1244/story/1241149.html[/url] ”>http://www.startribune.com/1244/story/1241149.html</a></p> ;
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The five-second rule: It just may be true</p>
<p>A pair of biology seniors at Connecticut College decided to test the oft-cited maxim that food that sits less than five seconds on a floor remains safe to eat.</p>
<p>By Tony Germanotta, Virginian-Pilot
<p>A pair of biology seniors at Connecticut College decided to test the oft-cited maxim that food that sits less than five seconds on a floor remains safe to eat.</p>
<p>They used a well-traveled section of the college cafeteria; apple slices “because they were free,” and Skittles, because there’s an assumption that dry food is less susceptible to contamination, said researcher Molly Goettsche. To simulate the real world, food was dropped off the edge of a cafeteria table. One pair of edibles sat on the floor for five seconds; others for 10, 30, 60 seconds, and, finally, for five minutes. They repeated the experiment under the supervision of a biology professor.</p>
<p>The results: No bacteria were found on any food left on the floor for up to half a minute. Apple slices and Skittles both got germy after a minute (although one Skittle took five minutes).</p>
<p>Goettsche, 23, who is heading for a career in biotech market research, said she would not eat from a floor despite their findings.</p>
<p>“Use your discretion,” she advised. “I don’t want to be responsible for changing the five-second rule to the 30-second rule.”
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<p>I am so going to cite this article whenever I eat food off the ground now.</p>
<p>Even if it was bacteria, you DO have an immune system… </p>
<p>People are WAAAY too paranoid about things like this. The more bacteria you are exposed to the healthier you will be. People that are exposed to anti-bacteria cleaning chemicals also have much higher risk of serious allergies. You should just go around LICKING the floor and you will be REALLY healthy!</p>
<p>Besides, hardly any bacteria are harmful. There are bacteria and fungi all over your body all the time. Get over it. Oh yeah, and you probably eat pounds of insect parts every year in food.</p>
<p>im glad they actually research these things</p>
<p>Haha. this is awesome</p>
<p>I think I love you lablondie. (even though you’re a yalie)</p>