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You've probably all heard about the five-second rule at some point in your life. This "rule" states that if you drop a piece of food on the floor and pick it up in under five seconds, the food is still safe to eat. Many of us might even be living by this rule, but does the five-second rule have any basis in science? In short, no!

The origins of the five-second rule are unknown, but science has proven that the rule simply doesn't hold water. In 2003, Jillian Clarke, a high school senior, performed an experiment at the University of Illinois during a school internship. Her experiment proved that E. coli bacteria can transfer to food well under the five-second mark. Researchers at Clemson University took this experiment a step further in 2007. The scientists applied a large amount of salmonella to various types of surfaces to see how long the bacteria could survive. After three weeks, a good amount of salmonella was still living on the surfaces. The longer food was left on these surfaces, the more germs the food acquired. In just five seconds, the number of germs measured on a piece of food was between 150 and 8,000.

So, the next time you drop that beloved cookie on the floor, just throw it out and go buy yourself a new box of cookies. You never know what could have attached itself to your treat!

The Five-Second Rule [Kids Health]
5 Second Rule With Food On Floor [MythBusters]
Fact or Fiction?: The 5-Second Rule for Dropped Food [Scientific American]

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr/Andrew Mager

While Express Hot Yoga offers a few traditional 90-minute bikram-style yoga workouts, this studio stays true to its name by specializing in condensed, 50-minute classes. Regulars at this The Woodlands business say the studio itself is airy, clean, and beautifully maintained, which allows you to focus entirely on the poses—and be aware that you'll need to focus in order to get through a full 26-pose workout in just 50 minutes!

If you've never done hot yoga before, you'll likely find that the 50-minute classes are a great introduction to the bikram method. The studio recommends you arrive prepared to sweat, with a hand towel and plenty of water to drink.

Express Hot Yoga
1201 Lake Woodlands Drive
The Woodlands, TX 77380
(281) 363-2989
www.bytw.com
www.yelp.com/biz/express-hot-yoga-the-woodlands

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/Robert Bejil