I’m watching Cool Hand Luke and just passed the egg scene. Sure enough, when I tried searching the archive, this has come up before about two years ago. Now, unlike that OP I’m not about to try this trick myself, but that thread seems to have died out with no real consensus on whether or not this is possible. So, to restate:
Luke is challenged to eat 50 hard-boiled eggs in a single hour. I know that I, as a graduate student trained to survive on the minimum diet possible, would not nearly be able to handle this volume of food in such a short time. I doubt that even a chain gang worker could manage it. In the spirit of Mythbusters, though, I was wondering if it would be possible at all. Is it possible to consume that amount of any food in only an hour? Is there anything about eggs that would make the job easier or more difficult?
He didn’t have to keep them down for an hour, just to eat them in an hour. I’ve seen Nathan’s hot dog eating contests and I’m not sure that the number of hot dogs and squashed-up buns is near the same volume. The Oyster example is definitely at least the same volume, but what was the time span?
Again, I’m also wondering if eggs would be harder to eat than hot dogs (say). I’ve definitely felt more full on hard-boiled eggs than a comparable volume of meat, for instance.
"Even though many film trivia books suggest Newman really ate the eggs, the chance of the feat having been accomplished by him as part of a method-acting experience is remote.
Newman himself has stated that he ate no eggs during filming and that the scenes were filmed with very good camera angles."
also
"In theory, the feat is possible. In 1978, Peter Dowdeswell, from Northamptonshire, ate 32 eggs in just 78 seconds. The stomach of a large person can hold up to four litres of chewed food, and 50 standard-sized eggs would be about three litres.
But the stomach would already have about a litre of liquid inside it naturally, so although it could hold the food, it would be extremely dangerous.
The first problem would be the loss of saliva. This could be made up by helping the food down with water, but this would further fill the stomach."
Also related to don’t ask’s post: what kind of eggs were these? hard- or soft-boiled? Is this record 39 in half an hour? If 39 in half an hour is possible, there’s no guarantee that doubling the time would nearly double the quantity. Maybe the guy who ate 39 in half an hour was at his breaking point by the end.
Ah, but the world record of 39 only allots a 30 minute time limit. Cool Hand Luke being, well, cool could easily eat another 11 in the next 30 minutes at his leisure.
Now, how many were eaten by the end of the first hour? It was likely more than 1/4, so let’s say 1/3. 170 oysters isn’t really that much bulk, given that they’re pretty watery. More than I could take, but less than 50 hard-boiled eggs.
If somebody out there can eat 39, it’s highly likely somebody else can eat 50, but maybe they don’t care for eating contests, or they’re bedridden, or something.
Not to mention, Cool Hand Luke is cool. (did I say that? )
Will we ever see it in our lifetimes? I don’t know squat about standard deviation. Maybe the difference between 39 and 50 means you would be able to eat more than anybody in 50 universes.
I’m also betting the 78 seconds made it easier, not harder. Grease 'em up, swallow 'em whole, and throw them all back up whole at second 79.
We do know that at least one person has put down 50 hot dogs in 12 minutes. Unless he’s some sort of hot dog specialist, I’d bet he could do 50 eggs, no problemo.
Incredible! This is the same guy , Takeru Kobayashi, who has the egg record! (I think).
“‘What I plan on doing after this contest is to lose as much as Kobe weighs, and I’m going to be so awesome, I’m going to be unbelievable’, said the 35-year-old who holds the world egg-eating title, having devoured 38 hard-boiled eggs in eight minutes.”
This differs from the 39 in the other post, so it could be that someone went one better. But 38 in eight minutes! Cheesh!
If the difficulty lies in keeping the ingested substance down, I’m trying to decide which would be more disgusting… seeing some guy horkin’ up 54 oysters or 50 eggs. Either way, it’s gonna be a freakin’ mess. I hope they’re holding the contest on a boat.
)