Julia Garstecki - Pick, Spit & Scratch: the Science of Disgusting Habits

A habit is a behavior you do over and over. You might not even realize you do it. Like just now. Maybe you were biting your fingernails and didnt even know it!

To form a habit you must repeat three steps over and over again:

You perform the behavior.

You get a reward! Maybe the reward is that you skip something you hate to do, like brushing your teeth. Or maybe the reward is that your boogers taste sooo good.

The reward tells your brain to repeat the behavior, so you go back to step 1.

When these three steps happen many times, you will form a habit.

Its good to know that not all habits are bad. Its great if your habit is taking a walk after supper. Or washing your hands before eating. Or brushing your teeth twice a day.

But what if your habit is gross? Like picking scabs? Or not washing your hands?

Maybe grownups nag you to stop your bad habits. Well, they nag for good reasons. For one thing, it is gross to find scabs and fingernails on the coffee table. But there are even better reasons to stop your bad habits.

Experts believe it takes from 18 to 254 days to form or break a habitbad or good.

What makes a bad habit truly disgusting?

Bacteria!

Bacteria are some of the smallest living things on Earth. Each is made of just one cell. They might be tiny, but bacteria are tough. They survive almost anywhere. They live deep in soil. And they live 32,000 feet (10,000 meters) below the ocean surface. Bacteria even live in arctic snow.

Scientists think that contact with some bacteria makes us healthier. This contact is how the immune system trains to fight bad bacteria.

Some bacteria are good. They can make food taste awesome. They can help your digestion. They also fight the bad bacteria that make us sick.

Bad bacteria, on the other hand

they make our noses run. They give us tummy aches. Some bad bacteria even cause death.

Which brings us to why some habits are more than disgustingthey are dangerous!

Has a grownup ever told you to cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough? Want to know why?

Germs are viruses, bacteria, and other tiny critters inside you. A sneeze or cough can spray germs 25 feet (8 meters) through the air!

People nearby breathe in your flying germs. Now they might catch your illness too.

Covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze helps stop the spread of germs. Use a tissue or the inside of your elbow.

Some scientists believe there could be five million trillion trillion kinds of bacteria! Thats 5,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000!

Sneezing is not the only way bacteria get on your hands. Remember, bacteria live everywhere. Just one spoonful of dirt can contain three million bacteria. If you play outside, bacteria will get on your hands and under your fingernails.

When you have bacteria on your hands, you must wash them! Sticking them under a faucet for a few seconds wont get the job done.

Wash your hands like an expert:

Wet hands with running water.

Rub soap on hands.

Rub hands together for at least 20 seconds.

Scrub each finger and the backs of hands too.

Rinse hands well.

Dry hands.

Experiments show that hand dryers can send bacteria and other microscopic morsels (like poop) flying around the restroom!

What is grosser than floating flecks of poop?

Pinworms!

Pinworms are tinyabout the length of a staple. They live in peoples intestines. Pinworms and their eggs exit a persons body in poop.