Essential information for an Egg Drop Challenge – and for all breeding birds taking part in Beleef de Lente! An international group of physicists led by the renowned MIT in Boston has investigated when eggs break most easily: when they fall vertically or on their ‘side’ (Communications Physics, 9 May). To find out, they conducted 60 compression tests and 180 drop tests, letting (chicken) eggs fall from a maximum of 1 centimetre onto a hard surface. And – somewhat counter-intuitively – eggs are clearly more resistant to a horizontal fall or lateral load. They can absorb more energy in that orientation. Eggs are stiffer under vertical compression, but less tough. (GvM)
See also:
–MIT engineering students crack egg dilemma, finding sideways is stronger – MIT News, 8 May 2025
–This Is the Best Way to Drop an Egg Without Breaking It, According to Scientists – Smithsonian magazine, 12 May 2025