The five reasons science can’t take the five-second rule from me

It’s one of the last great questions faced by humankind: Do you eat something that has just fallen on the floor if you can get it back to your mouth in five seconds?

The New York Times will tell you that it’s the “Zero-Second Rule.” That scientific data suggests that once it’s on the floor, it’s gone because bacteria transfer is immediate. The science is sound, but I’m still not convinced it’s enough to end the five-second rule. Thus, here are the five reasons that I’m hanging on to the classic guideline for dropped food.