Prompt Cast
The Truth About the Five-Second Rule and Bacteria Transfer
TLDR The five-second rule is a myth, as research shows that bacteria can transfer to food within that short amount of time. Different surfaces have varying levels of bacteria transfer, with wood and tile surfaces allowing bacteria to survive for up to a month.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The podcast episode titled "Does the five-second rule work?" discusses the concept of the hygiene hypothesis and the division between germophobes and non-germophobes.
04:12
The five-second rule is a sliding scale depending on what type of food is dropped and where it is located, with the longer the food is on the floor, the more bacteria it will pick up.
08:30
In an experiment conducted at Clemson University, researchers found that there is bacterial transfer within five seconds of food being dropped on various surfaces, with between 150 and 8,000 bacteria being transferred in that short amount of time.
12:05
The type of surface that food comes in contact with affects the amount of bacteria transfer, with carpet having the least transfer but the bacteria surviving longer, and wood or tile surfaces allowing bacteria to survive for up to a month.
15:59
A study found that only 5% of the bacteria species found on people's hands were shared among all participants, indicating that there is a wide variety of bacteria present on different individuals' hands.
20:18
According to Charles Gerba, viruses and bacteria can survive the low pH of the stomach and certain floors, such as kitchen floors, can have more bacteria than a trash can or a toilet seat.
24:26
Wiping down your desk and other surfaces in the office with sanitizing wipes can lead to a 99.9% reduction in bacteria, and desks can have 100 times more bacteria than a kitchen table and 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat.
28:41
The bottom of a woman's purse can have hundreds to 6.7 million bacteria, and all it takes is 10 or 100 bacteria to get you sick.
32:51
The hosts of the podcast receive a heartfelt message from a listener who credits their show with helping him become a better person and improve his life.
Categories:
Society & Culture
