How to Convince Kids Not to Trust the Five-Second Rule
There is no magic force field to keep germs in check as long as you shout “the five second rule!” and scoop up the fallen bologna. Yeah, huh? Here’s how to prove it.
In this video, Bethany Brookshire shows you how to set up a legitimate scientific experiment to compare a 5-second Bologna procedure to a 50-second Bologna procedure. You make an incubator, pour agar into Petri dishes and analyze your data using the same software that real microbiologists use. ( Full instructions and shopping list here .)
In the end, it turns out that Bologna is still covered in germs, whether you followed the five second rule or even washed the floor first. And if in doubt about the results, you can try it yourself!