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MIT Study Reveals Eggs Are Tougher When Dropped Sideways

Research overturns a century-old belief, showing eggs absorb more impact energy when dropped on their side, with potential implications for education, packaging, and engineering.

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Eva Johnston, 3, marvels as Alyssa Crow pulls her egg from its wrapping, unharmed. Crow is the manager of the south branch of the Abilene Public Library which held an Egg Drop Challenge on April 17, 2021.

Overview

  • MIT researchers conducted 180 drop tests and compression experiments to compare the resilience of chicken eggs in vertical and horizontal orientations.
  • Findings published in *Communications Physics* confirm that eggs dropped horizontally are significantly less likely to crack than those dropped vertically, challenging long-held assumptions.
  • Horizontally dropped eggs absorbed more impact energy due to greater flexibility around their equator, despite requiring the same force to crack as vertically oriented eggs.
  • The study highlights confusion between stiffness, strength, and toughness, correcting misconceptions often taught in STEM education and popular science.
  • Researchers suggest the findings could inspire bio-inspired engineering designs and lead to innovations in egg packaging to reduce breakage.