MIT Study Challenges Common Knowledge: Eggs Are Stronger On Their Side

A new scientific study by MIT researchers has shattered the commonly held belief that eggs are strongest at their ends, revealing that eggs are actually less likely to crack when dropped on their side, potentially changing the approach to cooking, packaging, and even classroom physics demonstrations.

The Surprising Discovery

Eggs have long been packaged with their ends pointing up and down in cartons, following the conventional wisdom that the arched ends provide maximum protection. However, this practice has been called into question by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who conducted experiments with over 200 eggs.

“The fun started when we thought we would get one result and then we saw another,” said Hudson Borja da Rocha, a postdoctoral associate at MIT who co-authored the study published in the journal Communications Physics on May 8, 2025.

The research team ran both simulations and physical experiments, dropping eggs horizontally and vertically from three different heights up to 0.4 inches (10 millimeters). Contrary to expectations, eggs dropped horizontally consistently showed a lower cracking rate.

Science Behind the Strength

According to the researchers, the key lies in the egg’s equator—the middle section running around its widest part. This area proved more flexible than the ends, allowing it to better absorb impact energy before cracking.

The discovery contradicts the long-held belief that the curved arch structure at the ends of eggs makes them strongest in the vertical position. This architecture has even inspired dome designs in buildings due to its presumed strength, as explained by Science World, which notes that “eggs are similar in shape to architectural domes, which are among the strongest architectural forms.”

The finding also challenges previous research. A study described on the Harvard Natural Sciences Lecture Demonstrations site showed that eggs can support remarkable weight when compressed at their ends—even up to 250 pounds in controlled conditions.

Practical Implications

While this discovery doesn’t change how you should crack an egg for breakfast (breaking at the middle still works best to release the contents), it does have potential applications for cooking practices.

“It could help with hard-boiling eggs in a pot,” noted the study’s co-author, Professor Tal Cohen. “Dropping eggs in horizontally may be less likely to cause a stray crack that can unleash the egg’s insides in a puffy, cloudy mess.”

The findings might also influence how eggs are packaged and transported in the future. Current egg carton designs that cradle eggs with their ends up might not provide optimal protection, though industry changes would likely require more extensive testing.

For educators, this research provides a fascinating update to the classic egg drop challenge, a common STEM activity in which students design containers to protect an egg from breaking when dropped from a height. Information from Virginia Tech’s Physics Department indicates that such projects typically position eggs with their ends down, based on the traditional understanding of egg strength.

Why This Matters

Beyond its practical applications, the study highlights the importance of challenging scientific assumptions. “Countless broken eggs show the courage to go and challenge these very common, accepted notions,” said Cohen, emphasizing how even well-established “common sense” ideas deserve scientific scrutiny.

Materials scientist Marc Meyers from the University of California, San Diego, who was not involved in the study, commented on this paradigm shift: “The common sense is that the egg in the vertical direction is stronger than if you lay the egg down. But they proved that’s not the case.”

The research also connects to broader studies on biomechanics and natural structures. According to a 2017 article in Phys.org, understanding the biomechanics of eggshells has significant economic implications, as approximately 6.4% of commercially produced eggs are damaged between production and reaching consumers—representing over a billion dollars in annual losses in the US alone.

This unexpected discovery reminds us that nature often holds surprises that contradict our intuition, and testing our assumptions through careful experimentation remains a cornerstone of scientific progress.