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GeeMack
SFN Regular
USA
1093 Posts |
 Posted - 03/20/2006 : 14:01:22
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They say if you take a raw egg and stand it on its end, right at the moment of the equinox, it will balance, standing upright. So today at 12:26 CST, the moment of the vernal equinox, I was ready with an egg, a witness, and my camera. As the moment approached I carefully set the egg on end on a smooth topped table. I steadied it a bit, then slowly drew my hand away. Lo and behold, there it was, a raw egg, balanced perfectly on its end on a smooth surface.
Okay, okay, the egg is actually balanced on its end, but the notion that it can only be done on the equinox is a myth. An egg generally has a slightly bumpy texture which assists in getting it to stay upright. With a bit of patience, and sometimes choosing a particularly bumpy egg, one can be made to balance any day of the year. It's an old myth, and even though it's been widely explained it seems likely to persist because of the slightly mysterious aspect.
The myth is exposed at the Bad Astronomy web site. Another article about this myth can be found in the Urban Legends section at About.com. And dozens more explanations can be found by Googling balance egg equinox. Enjoy! 
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 03/20/2006 : 14:23:17 [Permalink]
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Wheb I was in school, we had a teacher demonstrate that one. Hadn't thought about it in years. Thanks!
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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The Bad Astronomer
Skeptic Friend
137 Posts |
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Ricky
SFN Die Hard
USA
4907 Posts |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
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