Eggs on end on Equinox

By JAINE TREADWELL

Features Editor

Published Sept. 23, 1999

Whether it be folklore or scientific fact, the Autumnal Equinox which occurred yesterday, Sept. 23, had folks all across the country standing on egg.

The belief is that on this day when the earth and sun are in perfect alignment all the earth is in such perfect balance that an egg will stand on end on a completely flat surface without any support.

Dr. B. J. Bateman, professor of physical science and chemistry at Troy State University, said if that’s true you can’t prove it by him.

"I’ve heard of those who have stood an egg on end on the day of the Autumnal Equinox and I’ve tried it but I’ve never been able to do it without cheating," Bateman said, laughing. "I guess I’m a pessimist about it but I’ve never seen it and I’ve never done it – without cheating."

Bateman takes the theory with a grain of salt – two or three that is.

"And if you sprinkle a few grains of salt on the table – just enough to make a slight imperfection – the egg will stand up," he said. "I’ve done that and I would think anyone who has stood an egg on end has been aided by some surface imperfection that made it possible."

If Bateman is a doubting Thomas, there were at least two believers in town yesterday.

Denise Taylor and Rhonda Scott tackled the task fully expecting their eggs to stand.

"It took a while but we got one to stand and then two," Scott said. "Once we got an egg standing it would stay unless someone shook the table."

The table was a stainless steel one with no signs of imperfections. The two eggs just stood there completely on their own.

"The eggs had to be at room temperature," Taylor said. "We never got a cold one to stand."

Someone bumped the table and the eggs fell down. Taylor and Scott never got one of the eggs to come back to attention. But the other egg did. With a little coaxing, it stood alone again. It did itself proud and proved, without a doubt, that an egg can stand alone on the day of the Autumnal Equinox.

Taylor and Scott drew funny faces on two other eggs, cracked their bottoms slightly and stood them along side the "real thing" proving looks can be deceiving.

"Two are fakes but this one it the real thing," Taylor said pointing to the plain, proud egg-quinox. "I might not have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. It can be done. I know because we did it!"

Egg-ceptional work, egg-ceptional!