Boiling Eggs

All my life, I’ve heard that when a liquid is heated it changes into a gas. When we boil an egg, however, it solidifies. Why is this?

———- from Siddiqui Mohammed of Cairo, Egypt

Inside every egg, there’s an angry chicken waiting to get out. When you heat the egg you only increase his or her anger. Eventually this fuming ball of malice solidifies and is transformed into a durable, practically inedible ovoid of pure resentment. In this way. it approximates the feelings the Irish bear for the British. Did you know that eggs are often called “Irish Cheese”. This odd fact may have something to do with your question. On the other hand, it may not. It may not even be true. But I like the ring of it. “Waitress, I’ll have my Irish Cheese sunny side up!”