Has the shell of the dilemma which came first the egg or the chicken been cracked

cartoon which came first the chicken or the egg

Humor cartoon obviously a womans point of view answering the age old question of who came first.

In the eternal question: what was before – the chicken or the egg was put a ‘point’. British scientists managed to prove that for once it was a chicken. The question itself poses a question so has the shell of the dilemma, which came first the egg or the chicken been cracked?

A literal answer is somewhat obvious, as egg-laying species predate the existence of chickens. However, the metaphorical view sets a metaphysical ground to the dilemma. To better understand its metaphorical meaning, the question could be reformulated as: “Which came first, X that can’t come without Y, or Y that can’t come without X?”

In order to solve this problem, scientists have modeled the formation of an eggshell using a computer Hector. The results showed that a key role in the formation of the shell is a special protein ovocleidin-17 (OC- 17), generated in the ovaries of chickens.

It is noteworthy that among the different species of birds observed in different variants of this protein, but its functional characteristics are virtually no different, said one of the study participants, Colin Freeman.

According to scientists, OC -17 (ovocleidin-17) is a catalyst for the development of eggshell, facilitating the transformation of calcium carbonate crystals of calcite. This protein shell becomes more solid and can serve as a protection of chick embryos.

The formation of the shell and the existence of this protein were known before, but only now they link together and scientists have received a full picture. Now the researchers plan to use his discovery for industrial purposes, such as the development of new materials. This science does however give new insight into an efficient and fast method of crystallization. It will help in research to devise better synthetic bone and research into how to store/sequester CO₂ as limestone.

However, this may contradict a previous analysis which came to another conclusion. Professor John Brookfield and Professor David Papineau argue since there was ‘first’ Chicken, it must have come from an egg which predated that chicken. Biologist PZ Meyers points out a further flaw in this argument, in that other birds make use of different kinds of proteins for producing eggs, and that the evolution of ovocleidin was not coincident with the evolution of eggs; ovocleidin developed from prior proteins, which were used to form eggs since before birds branched away evolutionarily from reptiles

Well this actually further underlines that it’s a fun but pointless question. The belief of the wheel of time which regards time as cyclical and with repeating ages, as some other cultures such as Mesoamerican (Aztecs, Mayan) and some native American Indians and Buddhism believe. Their idea of time gives a different answer to the question of “who is first” when combined with the concept of Eternal Return which is well known in the Western culture through the writings of Nietzsche. The assumption is that time is eternally repetitive and therefore, there is no ‘first’ in eternity, there is no creation. The answer then becomes: None is first. There is no ‘first’ in a cyclical view of time.

As for me I will say none shall ever know the true answer to the question “which came first the chicken or the egg”, at least not in our life times. Answers to such things would prove far too dangerous for man to handle at this point in human evolution.