Ewwwww!
June 9, 2015 11:29 AM Subscribe
Never shake hands with an 8 year old.
One of the biggest triumphs in our household was getting our kids toilet-trained because we were able to ensure that they wash their hands voluntarily several times a day.
The number of colds and bouts of pinkeye has plummeted in our house and while I agree with our pediatrician that he would be more concerned if younger kids weren't getting sick every 3 weeks, I am so glad those days are behind us and our little vectors are better about hygiene.
posted by plinth at 11:35 AM on June 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
The number of colds and bouts of pinkeye has plummeted in our house and while I agree with our pediatrician that he would be more concerned if younger kids weren't getting sick every 3 weeks, I am so glad those days are behind us and our little vectors are better about hygiene.
posted by plinth at 11:35 AM on June 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
The most damning thing about small children is how they somehow manage to be both sticky and greasy at the same time.
posted by phunniemee at 11:36 AM on June 9, 2015 [17 favorites]
posted by phunniemee at 11:36 AM on June 9, 2015 [17 favorites]
I don't understand. If what we're seeing is bacterial based, how did this thing go viral?
posted by gwint at 11:37 AM on June 9, 2015 [27 favorites]
posted by gwint at 11:37 AM on June 9, 2015 [27 favorites]
How many of these cultures are actually dangerous? And repeat the process with a random adult -- if they're anything like my coworkers, the 8 year old likely wins for cleanliness.
posted by nathan_teske at 11:38 AM on June 9, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by nathan_teske at 11:38 AM on June 9, 2015 [8 favorites]
If the kid had spent the afternoon playing XBox, that petri dish would look more or less the same. Most of that stuff is growing all over us all the time.
posted by hydropsyche at 11:39 AM on June 9, 2015
posted by hydropsyche at 11:39 AM on June 9, 2015
WET WIPES FOR EVERY CHILD I ENCOUNTER FOREVER AFTER
(and for adults too i seen you people who don't wash your hands i seen you)
posted by Kitteh at 11:39 AM on June 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
(and for adults too i seen you people who don't wash your hands i seen you)
posted by Kitteh at 11:39 AM on June 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
From the article:
posted by MonkeyToes at 11:43 AM on June 9, 2015 [10 favorites]
"It's normal stuff that we're exposed to every day. The skin protects us from a lot of the bad stuff out there," Sturm said. "The take home message is that to have a healthy immune system, you've got to be exposed to stuff."More play in the dirt!
Indeed, environments that are extremely clean may make children more sensitive to allergens, according to the "hygiene hypothesis."
posted by MonkeyToes at 11:43 AM on June 9, 2015 [10 favorites]
You know, if those bacteria aren't antibiotic resistant, then by all means, kiddo, paw everything. Paw everyone. The more slime and filth, the better.
posted by ocschwar at 11:44 AM on June 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by ocschwar at 11:44 AM on June 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
Never shake hands with an 8 year old.
You think you're any different? The only difference between this kid and the typical anyone is the variety of organisms. Keyboard? Smartphone? Public transport? These all harbor extreme amounts of bacteria and you probably use at least one of these three fairly regularly.
Just wash your god damn hands before you eat. The rest of the time who gives a shit what's on your hands. That's why you have skin and an immune system. Why we have a non-productive holier than thou complex about germs? Fucked if I know where in evolution that came about.
posted by Talez at 11:49 AM on June 9, 2015 [15 favorites]
You think you're any different? The only difference between this kid and the typical anyone is the variety of organisms. Keyboard? Smartphone? Public transport? These all harbor extreme amounts of bacteria and you probably use at least one of these three fairly regularly.
Just wash your god damn hands before you eat. The rest of the time who gives a shit what's on your hands. That's why you have skin and an immune system. Why we have a non-productive holier than thou complex about germs? Fucked if I know where in evolution that came about.
posted by Talez at 11:49 AM on June 9, 2015 [15 favorites]
That petri dish is just gorgeous. Does anyone know where I can order petri dishes about the size of an adult hand? I'm asking because of reasons and SCIENCE.
posted by specialagentwebb at 11:51 AM on June 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by specialagentwebb at 11:51 AM on June 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
How many of these cultures are actually dangerous?
For healthy people, none. Which is the point the person who did this was actually trying to make, and which an awful lot of the folks shooting this around the social media sites today seem to be missing. There's nothing unusually germy about the 8 year old boy, the dog he petted before culturing the dish, or their family home. The world is simply full of germs -- without them the ecosystem would grind to a halt.
posted by aught at 11:52 AM on June 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
For healthy people, none. Which is the point the person who did this was actually trying to make, and which an awful lot of the folks shooting this around the social media sites today seem to be missing. There's nothing unusually germy about the 8 year old boy, the dog he petted before culturing the dish, or their family home. The world is simply full of germs -- without them the ecosystem would grind to a halt.
posted by aught at 11:52 AM on June 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
What's the difference between a kindergarten and a petrie dish?
Decibel level.
posted by Etrigan at 11:56 AM on June 9, 2015 [23 favorites]
Decibel level.
posted by Etrigan at 11:56 AM on June 9, 2015 [23 favorites]
The girlfriend and I walk our dog at LACMA most weekends. Our route takes us past this installation, which is usually full of young kids running through it, grabbing the strings, licking the strings and generally just creating ground zero for the next measles outbreak.
It's like a virtual vasectomy.
posted by tallthinone at 11:58 AM on June 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
It's like a virtual vasectomy.
posted by tallthinone at 11:58 AM on June 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
What's the difference between a kindergarten and a petrie dish?
Kindergartens have singalongs and story time.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:58 AM on June 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
Kindergartens have singalongs and story time.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:58 AM on June 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
Chocolate Pickle: "What's the difference between a kindergarten and a petrie dish?"
Petrie dishes don't get head lice.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 12:05 PM on June 9, 2015 [11 favorites]
Petrie dishes don't get head lice.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 12:05 PM on June 9, 2015 [11 favorites]
There are entire civilizations living in your eyelashes. I really don't get germ phobia. Every large multi-cellular organism on this planet has a mutually beneficial relationship with a huge host of various microorganisms. They're part of who we are.
Hygiene is a thing, but going all Howard Hughes about anyone touching you is a waste of energy.
posted by Devils Rancher at 12:06 PM on June 9, 2015 [4 favorites]
Hygiene is a thing, but going all Howard Hughes about anyone touching you is a waste of energy.
posted by Devils Rancher at 12:06 PM on June 9, 2015 [4 favorites]
What's the difference between a kindergarten and a petrie dish?
TIMING!
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 12:08 PM on June 9, 2015 [24 favorites]
TIMING!
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 12:08 PM on June 9, 2015 [24 favorites]
The colors in this make it look like a 1970s piece of wall art made in kindergarten, and still displayed in Grandma's house to the bemusement of the kids.
posted by Countess Elena at 12:15 PM on June 9, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Countess Elena at 12:15 PM on June 9, 2015 [4 favorites]
What's the difference between a kindergarten and a petrie dish?
"A kindergarten and a petrie dish walk into a bar..."
posted by desjardins at 12:26 PM on June 9, 2015
"A kindergarten and a petrie dish walk into a bar..."
posted by desjardins at 12:26 PM on June 9, 2015
"THE ARISTOCRATS!"
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:46 PM on June 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:46 PM on June 9, 2015 [3 favorites]
I saw this yesterday and immediately wanted to try this on my own 9-year-old. I was Googling how to buy petri dishes and agar.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:46 PM on June 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:46 PM on June 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Superdoggy can sniff out C. difficile in poop. What a good boy!
posted by waving at 1:48 PM on June 9, 2015
posted by waving at 1:48 PM on June 9, 2015
PONCHO!
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 2:11 PM on June 9, 2015
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 2:11 PM on June 9, 2015
Let's just get rid of shaking hands altogether.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 2:12 PM on June 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 2:12 PM on June 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
Cool Papa Bell: I was Googling how to buy petri dishes and agar.
You can purchase 6" petri plates from Amazon in packs of 10. You can purchase pre-made TSA (microwave and pour) as well. That link says it's enough for 10-12 plates but that's likely assuming 100 mm plates so expect 4-5 of these large plates. $21 for 4-5 plates or $34 for 8-10 doesn't sound bad!
I don't recommend making your own agar at home unless you have an autoclave in which case can I play with your autoclave please.
posted by mountmccabe at 4:01 PM on June 9, 2015 [4 favorites]
You can purchase 6" petri plates from Amazon in packs of 10. You can purchase pre-made TSA (microwave and pour) as well. That link says it's enough for 10-12 plates but that's likely assuming 100 mm plates so expect 4-5 of these large plates. $21 for 4-5 plates or $34 for 8-10 doesn't sound bad!
I don't recommend making your own agar at home unless you have an autoclave in which case can I play with your autoclave please.
posted by mountmccabe at 4:01 PM on June 9, 2015 [4 favorites]
At an old job, one of my duties included weekly sterility monitoring of the clean room. For the positive control petri dish, I let everyone in the lab take turns growing whatever happened to be on their hands.
There is nothing unusual about what lives on this child.
posted by GrumpyDan at 5:20 PM on June 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
There is nothing unusual about what lives on this child.
posted by GrumpyDan at 5:20 PM on June 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
What's the difference between a kindergarten and a petrie dish?
I dunno man, I just fly the drone.
posted by um at 6:00 PM on June 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
I dunno man, I just fly the drone.
posted by um at 6:00 PM on June 9, 2015 [2 favorites]
There was a discussion about this photo on Reddit, and someone pointed out that the big white circle in the lower right might be candida not bacillus. The reasoning (and I know nothing of microbiology so I don't know if this is bullshit or not) was the empty area around the blob. The redditor said that candida manufactures it's own antibiotics? If that's true it's kind if fascinating.
posted by um at 6:12 PM on June 9, 2015
posted by um at 6:12 PM on June 9, 2015
In the thread on Microbe World where this photo was originally posted someone else speculates that it is a Streptomyces. This bacteria genus is also found in soil and produces several antibiotics.
I have not heard anything about any candida species manufacturing antibiotics, but it could be possible.
posted by mountmccabe at 8:24 PM on June 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
I have not heard anything about any candida species manufacturing antibiotics, but it could be possible.
posted by mountmccabe at 8:24 PM on June 9, 2015 [1 favorite]
My boss needs to see this. A while back I was out a couple days with a cold. He strutted about how he's so healthy and never gets colds and told me I need to eat more vegetables and crossfit.
No, shithead, you're divorced and single with no kids and I live with a 3.5 year old who is in daycare and can't remember to cover his mouth when he coughs. I rarely got sick before having adisease vector child.
posted by Fleebnork at 6:25 AM on June 10, 2015
No, shithead, you're divorced and single with no kids and I live with a 3.5 year old who is in daycare and can't remember to cover his mouth when he coughs. I rarely got sick before having a
posted by Fleebnork at 6:25 AM on June 10, 2015
Two words: jam glands.
You know, the reason why all kids of a certain age have sticky, disgusting hands all the time, including immediately after washing. Because their hands actually exude grossness.
And then you grow up -- most people, anyway -- and the jam glands recede again.
posted by fiercecupcake at 1:33 PM on June 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
You know, the reason why all kids of a certain age have sticky, disgusting hands all the time, including immediately after washing. Because their hands actually exude grossness.
And then you grow up -- most people, anyway -- and the jam glands recede again.
posted by fiercecupcake at 1:33 PM on June 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
My first thought was to provide children with glue to either make gloves or secure their hands together.
posted by ZeusHumms at 2:28 PM on June 10, 2015
posted by ZeusHumms at 2:28 PM on June 10, 2015
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posted by Chocolate Pickle at 11:33 AM on June 9, 2015 [3 favorites]