What came first, the chicken or the egg?

It’s a playground question from childhood. Something which is assumed to have no correct answer and be impossible to solve.

However, I asked my physics teacher this question in my teenage years and got this response…

“Easy! The chicken came first.” — Mrs Ham

Why? It has to do with the concept of Actuality vs. Potentiality.

Actuality and Potentiality are contrasting terms for that which has form, in Aristotle’s sense, and that which has merely the possibility of having form.

The chicken is actually a chicken. Whereas the egg is potentially a chicken.

In physics, actuality comes before potentiality.

So, therefore, the chicken came first.

Unlike correcting people’s pronunciation of ‘expresso’ to ‘espresso’… This chicken & egg factoid might actually make you a hit at parties.