The Rock and the Egg
The Rock and the Egg A Useful Guide for Telling One from the Other LIBRARIAN OF CELAENO Your eyes are closed. You hold out each of your hands. Into one is placed a rock, into the other, an egg, each having approximately the same size and shape. You must decide which is which using the senses available to you. Sight is closed off, as noted. Hearing will be of little use. Smell might help*, but the egg is fresh and the stone is a stone. You could try to taste it, but biting down on a rock could be hazardous. This does give you an idea, though. You run your fingers across the surface of stone and egg, but you gain nothing by this. Each is cold and smooth and hard and hefty. A test of each object at the surface level is fruitless. Then you squeeze. All at once, the distinction between the two objects that a moment ago each seemed so solid is revealed. A particular application of touch- pressure- sufficed to distinguish strength from fragility. Weakness is the diagnostic dis