The difference between a scientist and a creative writer…

There we are, standing together by the stove, watching an egg fry. It’s inside a metal ring placed on the flat base of the frying pan.

Some air has got under the egg and it expands, making the egg bubble up from underneath; it heaves and shivers, swells and shrinks, then swells some more, creating its own rhythm, bom -di-di- bom -di-di- bom… The runny white spills over the edge of the ring and trickles down into the pan in runnels, where it solidifies.

Like an active volcano, I think. And look at those patterns made as the egg cooks. You can see through the clear part of the uncooked white to the cooked bits underneath…that’s neat…

I look at my husband, wondering how to express the fascination of taking time to watch such an ordinary, everyday thing.

“Interesting, isn’t it,” he says, “how the different proteins cook at different rates. The coagulation denaturation time is governed by -“

Sigh.


Comments

The difference between a scientist and a creative writer… — 5 Comments

  1. Now I’m fascinated by the idea of frying an egg inside a ring. But then I mostly think cooking. I just chuck an egg into a non stick pan, never thought of a ring which is what they do in some restaurants I know.

  2. Diversity of thought is a good thing. It explores all possibilities and prevents us forming tunnel vision.

    P.S. I too cook my eggs in a ring.

  3. Ah yes. That sort of thing happens all the time around here. Not that I let that stop me encouraging them to look beyond the obvious, though.

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