IS THE number of "science projects" in your fridge about to increase? The Online Slang Dictionary says that's a euphemism for the ancient cheeses and so on that have evolved their own advanced biological communities.
Some people have none of these, religiously tossing out anything past its "sell by" date. Others pick off most of the visible mould and tuck in, or sniff, or cautiously taste.
Last month the UK government asked food sellers to drop or hide "sell by" dates. According to the UK's Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), British consumers needlessly dump 5.3 million tonnes of food every year, and this move is supposed to reduce that. Anecdotal evidence from one colleague supports this. Her mother "has a pathological fear of food and actually enjoys trashing it", the "sell by" date providing a convenient excuse.
To continue reading this article, subscribe to receive access to all of newscientist.com, including 20 years of archive content.