TED Conversations

Burke Bowers

This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »

What came first: the chicken or the egg?

I'm not being facetious with this post.

When asked this question, most people shrug and say "I don't know." But now I'm posing this question to the enlightened minds of TED.com.

So what came first? The chicken that laid the egg or the egg that hatched the chicken?

To me, the issue is philosphical and scientific at the same time. There has to be an answer, but couldn't one argue either position?

Topics: biology evolution life philosophy science
+1
Share:

Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.

  • thumb

    Krisztián Pintér 200+

    • 0
    TED Translator
    Apr 16 2012: how would you define "the first chicken"? because we need that in order to decide.

    (this, if you mean chicken-egg by egg. if you mean a general egg, surely it came first.)

    • Burke Bowers

      • 0
      Apr 16 2012: I would say "the first chicken", or any egg laying species, would be the first of its species to exist in the world. Does that help?

Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.