Paul Dawson & Brian Sheldon: Did You Just Eat That?

When your buttered toast falls on the kitchen floor, do you really have 5 seconds before it gets contaminated? Can you pick up “something” from a menu? Is there a hidden danger to beer pong? These are just a few serious questions answered by the guests on this episode of Inquiry. PAUL DAWSON is a Professor at Clemson University and BRIAN SHELDON is a Professor Emeritus in food Microbiology at North Carolina State University. They and their students have carefully designed scientific experiments to test some of the most often cited food myths. The book that is the summary of their findings is one of the best books on science for a popular audience published this year: DID YOU JUST EAT THAT? TWO SCIENTISTS EXPLORE DOUBLE-DIPPING, THE FIVE-SECOND RULE, AND FOOD MYTHS IN THE LAB.