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I agree with some of the recent sentiments on HN about this. It seems the media and the general public are beginning to become aware of the new "meta-geek" usag

I agree with some of the recent sentiments on HN about this. It seems the media and the general public are beginning to become aware of the new "meta-geek" usage of the word "hacker" and it's subterranean counterpart. I'm now lost in the "problem" (to paraphrase a recent post - "programmers don't _love to code_ they _love to solve problems_) of how to eat an egg without braking the shell? I think this should be a contest - best answer gets upvotes? I think the primary assumptions of the problem must be thrashed out first. 1. The Egg is to be an average sized chicken egg - none of them quails jive! 2. Eat: as in to consume the whole, 3. Egg: as in the Yolk and the White (albumen for the l334) 4. Without "Breaking the Shell": I think this needs to be defined as it would seem that careful incisions that could be reversed so as to leave the overall shape of the shell intact should be allowed. 5. ABSOLUTELY NO PUNS!

jaymuhz 17y ago
EGGcelent idea! (you asked for it... =P) But yeh, what counts as 'breaking' the shell? Can i dissolve the egg shell in some sort of acid? concentrated sulphuric maybe? I hear acetic acid works but its incredibly slow.
- theblackbox 17y ago
  Dagnabbit! Why can't I downvote!! doin a quick bit of research while waiting for the day to finish (trans: working), I found that the chemical composition of Egg shell is mostly Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) and that this can be effectively dissolved using many common acids. So putting an egg in vinegar (acetic acid) for some time would eventually dissolve away the shell (which is technically not _breaking_ it). .... any others? EDIT: saved by the common brainfart the problem with Sulfuric is that you have to be able to eat the egg itself afterwards ;)
mseebach 17y ago
You punch a small hole in each end and blow through one. http://www.minkhollow.ca/HatchingProgram/Activities/BlowEgg.html http://www.minkhollow.ca/HatchingProgram/Activities/BlowEgg....
- theblackbox 17y ago
  Nah, that's voiding the definition of "without _breaking_ the shell" - you have to be able to reconstitute the shell, leaving it looking as though nothing had happened. This is the obvious answer, but we're hackers - we need to be pedantic and anal otherwise there's no real fun in forcing others to think beyond there assumptions. ;) keep trying

jaymuhz 17y ago

EGGcelent idea! (you asked for it... =P) But yeh, what counts as 'breaking' the shell? Can i dissolve the egg shell in some sort of acid? concentrated sulphuric maybe? I hear acetic acid works but its incredibly slow.

theblackbox 17y ago
Dagnabbit! Why can't I downvote!! doin a quick bit of research while waiting for the day to finish (trans: working), I found that the chemical composition of Egg shell is mostly Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) and that this can be effectively dissolved using many common acids. So putting an egg in vinegar (acetic acid) for some time would eventually dissolve away the shell (which is technically not _breaking_ it). .... any others? EDIT: saved by the common brainfart the problem with Sulfuric is that you have to be able to eat the egg itself afterwards ;)

mseebach 17y ago

You punch a small hole in each end and blow through one. http://www.minkhollow.ca/HatchingProgram/Activities/BlowEgg.html http://www.minkhollow.ca/HatchingProgram/Activities/BlowEgg....

theblackbox 17y ago
Nah, that's voiding the definition of "without _breaking_ the shell" - you have to be able to reconstitute the shell, leaving it looking as though nothing had happened. This is the obvious answer, but we're hackers - we need to be pedantic and anal otherwise there's no real fun in forcing others to think beyond there assumptions. ;) keep trying