Let’s shake off the fist bump

SCIENTISTS have tested the healthiness of physical greetings and hailed the fist bump as the most hygienic way to say hello.

The researchers behind the study at Aberystwth University found that a strong handshake transferred up to 10 times the number of bacteria as a fist bump.

Dr David Whitworth, a senior lecturer at Aberystwyth, said if the public were encouraged to fist bump, it could reduce the spread of infectious diseases.

He said: “You can’t really imagine a world where people don’t greet each other physically. It seems to be a basic human need.”

This may be why Whitworth felt compelled to cushion the bad news of the handshake with the suggestion of replacing it with a fist bump.

But I want to defend the handshake. I even have a childhood sob story. Well, sort of.

When I was younger, my dad took me into work with him one day. All I can remember is the moment his colleague thought it would be hilarious to treat tiny little me like a grown-up and shake my hand. I was terrified.

After that I was scared of handshakes until university dumped me into the real world and I had to get over it.

Now, every handshake feels like a mini victory, a middle finger to my irrational childhood fear.

Biases aside, handshakes are the fabric of the adult world. They bind us together in polite niceties and are small gestures that make us feel welcome. They’re the grown-up version of sharing your toys.

The best thing about handshakes is that they’re optional. When all you have to go on are first impressions, they provide a good benchmark for human decency. They separate