It's Friday Gross Out Day!

Just in case you wanted to know, NPR has a video showing what happens to the flu virus that is expelled when someone sneezes:         








Robert Krulwich has a "Sciencey Blog" at NPR which explains that all the stuff in the video happens in an extremely short time (fractions of a second). Also he mentions that the colors in the video are not really accurate. But it does make it easier to see. And in response to why all those viruses don't kill us, he explains further:    

Here's a better, longer answer than the one in the video. First, some new viruses get caught in mucus and other fluids inside your body and are destroyed. Other viruses get expelled in coughs and sneezes. Second, lots of those new viruses are lemons. They don't work that well. Some don't have the right "keys" to invade healthy cells so they can't spread the infection. And third, as the animation shows, your immune system is busy attacking the viruses whenever and wherever possible.    

 I think I'll go have a Twix bar - I've heard they are helpful in boosting your immune system. Maybe two.