A less germy hello.

• Position: SCIENCE - Fist bump - Brief article

To greet someone formally, a handshake is the old standby. But if you want to aim for germ-free, go with fist bumps instead. Researchers in Wales conducted an experiment involving five people wearing gloves coated with E. coli bacteria. The subjects were then asked to fist-bump, high-five, and shake hands with five other people wearing sterile gloves. Handshakes were the dirtiest greeting, followed by high-fives and then fist bumps, which transferred 90 percent fewer germs than handshakes (see chart). The study was prompted by a recent call from the American Medical Association to ban handshakes in hospitals, where 1 in 25 patients develops healthcare-associated...