Researchers at the Universities of Sheffield and Warwick, in northern and central England, say the chicken must have come first as the formation of eggs is only possible thanks to a protein found in the chicken's ovaries.
Scientists already knew that the protein, ovocledidin-17 (OC-17), plays a part in eggshell formation, but the new technology allowed the team to demonstrate exactly how the protein makes it happen
Professor John Harding of Sheffield University, one of the authors of the research was quoted as saying that understanding how chickens make eggshells is fascinating in itself but can also give clues towards designing new materials and processes, and went on to say that nature has found innovative solutions that work for all kinds of problems in materials science and technology, and that we can learn a lot from them,
This story provided much news coverage when it came out and some scientists were even a little bemused. In one divergent opinion stated that it still doesn't solve the problem because the chicken's ovaries couldn't have grown in the chicken if the chicken hadn't hatched out of an egg. This person suggested the journalists may have misinterpreted the comments.
Nonetheless it is fascinating as science is ever changing as more discoveries are made, and we've seen time and time again, that what was deemed, at least by the media, as 'fact' even a decade ago, gets superseded when something else is discovered.
This is the nature of science and through discovery, we as a society have benefited with medical research. Smallpox to name just one, once wiped out whole communities. We have a great deal to be thankful for in such discoveries.
The 'micro' reveals the astonishing invisible world around us. Many in science are followers of Christ having seen the 'micro' and marvelled. But, others have seen the same 'micro' and have not believed.
Science does not and cannot speak on theology. Yet matters of eternity are topics each person ponders upon, but this does not mean that theology is not unaware of the sciences. Like anyone else, those in theology make observations of the world around them.
This is one of the Biblical responses from the New Testament book of Romans where 'observations' provides the evidence for each person to ponder on the marvels of the created world around them. An acknowledgement of the Creator is a legitimate observation.
As a man of theology and an observer of science, I take some interest when science reveals information as described in this story of the chicken and the egg.
Thirty three years ago while in seminary I was unable to name even one Christian magazine that discussed the observations of science. Today there are at least two such professional produced publications that this writer is aware of. I pay a subscription for one of them and I'm aware of people in science who also subscribe.