Dawson Paul L. - Did you just eat that?: two scientists explore double-dipping, the five-second rule, and other food myths in the lab

Praise for

Did You Just Eat That?

Myth busters move over and squeamish eaters beware. Here is a fun, entertaining, fact-filled and scientific dive into the potentially daily disgusting and dangerous encounters we can have with foodbut also with easy-to-follow advice to save you!

Rachel Herz, author of Why You Eat What You Eat

If, like me, youve always been suspicious of hand driers in toilets, or worried about the transfer of germs when you pick up a menu in a restaurant, then this book is for you. Entertaining and enlightening in equal measure.

Mark Miodownik, author of Stuff Matters

While fascinating and often hilarious, the experiments in Did You Just Eat That? could make you live in fear of double-dippers, hand blowers, passed popcorn, and the things you put in your Bloody Mary. Heres to more good microbes than bad, and to Paul Dawson and Brian Sheldons wanting you to meet their little friends!

Michael Feldman, host of WhadYa Know?

Wed like to dedicate this book to all germophobes and hope they live life to the fullest.

W hy write a book about the five-second rule, double-dipping, and other food myths? Well, because inquiring minds want to know. The truth is, weve always been puzzled and a little impressed by the faith people seem to have in catchphrases for a host of food-handling behaviors. Five seconds? Says who? And double-dipping. George Costanza from Seinfeld tends to be wrong about things. So, could Timmy, the character who calls George out for this practice in a famous episode, be right? The more we thought about it, the more examples of questionable food-handling behavior came to mind. Some of them dont even have catchphrases yet. Whether its the communal popcorn tub at the movies or the Ping-Pong ball used in the game of beer pong, most of us dont think twice about what else besides popcorn or beer we might be putting in our mouths.

Catchphrases will come in time, but we wanted to take a closer look at whats really going on. Thats why, together with our undergraduate students from the Creative Inquiry Program at Clemson University, we conducted bona fide scientific research in a faculty-mentored team environment. This was our way of introducing the scientific method to students who at first may not be interested in research and getting them to look at common, everyday topics and beliefs about bacteria and food. The questions raised captured our participants interest in their own and their classmates behaviors. What we found amazed us, and we decided to share our findings with a wider audienceincluding you, the reader.

After a series of research experiments, we hatched the idea to compile a book on these topics for the everyday reader. In each chapter, we present results from our original published research, along with research by others, on how bacteria are transferred and survive on foods and contact surfaces we are exposed to in everyday life. We hope this book will both enlighten and entertain you.

So, how should you enjoy this book?

After the introduction, which gives you some basic information about the mysterious microbial world, the chapters are grouped into three parts covering how bacteria spread on (1) different surfaces, (2) air and water, and (3) food transport mechanisms. In each chapter, we first share some trivia and background on that particular topic, then describe do-it-yourself experiments we have conducted to answer the question posed. Near the end of each chapter, youll find other research completed on the same topic to give you a better grasp of the myth or issue being considered. Those who want to know the details or try the experiments themselves, including both materials and methods, can read the sections titled Science Stuff Ahead. Readers who are more interested in the results or in discussions contrasting other research can skip those sections. At the end of each chapter, youll find a section called Things to Consider. In it we look at serious implications for the findings as well as some humorous subjects, such as the total amount of dog feces (20 billion pounds in the United States per year) on the ground where you might drop foodfun and relevant stuff like that.