Of course we can never know for sure how many harmful microbes there are on any surface. But we know enough now to formulate the five-second rule, version 2.0: If you drop a piece of food, pick it up quickly, take five seconds to recall that just a few bacteria can make you sick, then take a few more to think about where you dropped it and whether or not it\ufffds worth eating.

[link|http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/dining/09curi.html?8dpc|Link] 

Luckily this rule never held much appeal in my house.