Are there a million germs on a pinhead and why do ice cubes turn white?

We explore the curious questions that science can answer

Bacteria is all around us, including on pinheads (Getty/iStock)

Is it true that there are about a million germs on every pinhead?

Before we can answer this, we need to say what a germ is. Normally we say a germ is any living organism that we cannot see but that makes us ill. “Germ” is a general word which can describe a bacterium, a virus, or a fungus. It is true that there are probably a million bacteria on the head of a pin. Bacteria are all around us.

However, unless we stab the pin deep into an arm or a leg, these bacteria will not harm us.