I expect them to be completely organic. What else would they be?
parl_match · 11d ago
namespace collision: to the layperson, it's organic because it came from an organism. from a chemical perspective, it's considered non-organic
i admit i read ops comment and was confused for a second until it clicked. they're mostly calcium carbonate
mulmen · 11d ago
I wondered about that but then in context wasn’t sure of the relevance. I’m aware that even fresh eggs are somewhat porous and wouldn’t expect the contents to last beyond a week before beginning to break down.
fifilura · 12d ago
Mostly calcium carbonate.
No comments yet
foxyv · 11d ago
Calcium carbonate. So a salt I guess?
mulmen · 9d ago
So eggs shells are less organic than I would think.
nyanpasu64 · 12d ago
The eggshell looks like a century egg, but as mentioned by the comment the contents may have decomposed if the mud wasn't alkaline like the century egg production process.
phinnaeus · 11d ago
It’s a 17 century egg, to be precise
ars · 12d ago
I think they should not pierce it, but instead leave it for future humans to study.
teruakohatu · 11d ago
Science funding requires doing something. Nobody funds you to not do something.
Regardless of getting funding, I don't see why our level of technology is not adequate to study an egg.
sdwr · 10d ago
It might be the only 1700 year old egg in the world. Surely the prudent thing to do is wait some fraction of its age (200 years?) and reevaluate. What are the chances that, out of all of history, now is the best time to open it?
lazide · 10d ago
It’s already been removed from it’s protective environment and will degrade long before 200 years.
yumraj · 11d ago
Depending on how you look at it, the ones studying it are future humans.
timschmidt · 12d ago
Forbidden breakfast!
creatonez · 11d ago
Don't worry, I'll find another one
mseepgood · 12d ago
Of course they are going to break it.
shrx · 12d ago
I wonder why they don't put it in a CT scanner first before breaking it.
shrx · 11d ago
Apologies, apparently I missed this part in the article since the large ad banner immediately next to it distracted me.
coldpie · 11d ago
Install an ad blocker, friend!
efilife · 11d ago
ublock origin to be specific
Cyphase · 12d ago
> A Micro CT scan showed that this ancient egg is still full of liquid.
> “Researchers are planning to carefully extract the liquid to better study it,” stated Edward Biddulph, Senior Project Manager, who oversaw the site excavation. “It’s a controlled process similar to egg blowing, where a tiny hole is made in its shell after creating a 3D model.”
I think it is a mistake not to cut the top off the egg and just look inside as ancient egg shell has no value after it drys out and the visual information may be unique,so off with its top, and
then take samples of the "liquid" and the inner shell lining, if it's present, and then see if there is any remaining structure of an embryo or the egg as laid.
fsckboy · 12d ago
>Scientists are eager to use DNA testing to establish the species that laid the egg
how much DNA is in an egg, isn't it just a single cell with a single nucleus? and if unfertilized is haploid?
fbn79 · 12d ago
In addition to the single nucleus the egg can contains trace of DNA from the mother
anshumankmr · 12d ago
I dare them to make an omelette wit that.
foreigner · 12d ago
Fry it up with bog butter!
a3w · 12d ago
Can't make science without breaking an egg!
robofanatic · 11d ago
Story of an egg that never hatched.
knighthack · 11d ago
I'm willing to bet there's a dragon in that egg.
slow123_ · 12d ago
duke dennis must’ve saved the egg for breakfast but forgot about it loll
Egg shells are more organic than you expect.
This is why you use stuff like waterglass https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_silicate to seal them.
I expect them to be completely organic. What else would they be?
i admit i read ops comment and was confused for a second until it clicked. they're mostly calcium carbonate
No comments yet
Regardless of getting funding, I don't see why our level of technology is not adequate to study an egg.
> “Researchers are planning to carefully extract the liquid to better study it,” stated Edward Biddulph, Senior Project Manager, who oversaw the site excavation. “It’s a controlled process similar to egg blowing, where a tiny hole is made in its shell after creating a 3D model.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-ray_microtomography
how much DNA is in an egg, isn't it just a single cell with a single nucleus? and if unfertilized is haploid?