Smithsonian Magazine – “Boiling an egg is not as straightforward as it might seem, because the egg yolk and the egg white cook at two different temperatures. If the white is perfectly cooked, the yolk is overdone and chalky. But if the yolk is perfectly cooked, the white (also called the albumen) does not solidify completely. This conundrum has spilled out of the kitchen and into the scientific world. Now, researchers claim to have found the perfect way to boil an egg, as detailed in a study published last week in the journal Communications Engineering. “The very key of our method is to have a well-cooked albumen without wasting the yolk,” study co-author Ernesto Di Maio, a materials engineer at the University of Naples Federico II in Italy, tells the New York Times’ Alexander Nazaryan. So, what does it take? Besides eggs, you’ll need a pot of boiling water at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, a bowl of water at 86 degrees Fahrenheit, a steamer basket and 32 minutes of time. The researchers stipulate that the steamer basket of eggs must be dunked into the boiling water for two minutes, then into the lukewarm water for two minutes—a switch that’s to be repeated eight total times before you’re cleared to run them under cold water and peel off the shells. “This is a slower process to get a better outcome,” Joanne Slavin, a food scientist at the University of Minnesota who was not involved in the study, tells the Associated Press’ Adithi Ramakrishnan…”