Throwing raw eggs off a five-story building doesn't always mean a messy splatter of yolks and egg whites. For the past 17 years, a UC Davis student engineering organization, the Materials Society, has sponsored an egg-drop contest that attracts hundreds of community participants. The entries are sealed in styrofoam cups, cardboard boxes, and plastic-filled nose cones with balsa fins acting as the guidance system. The contest rules ask participants to construct a device that will protect the egg when dropped and accurately direct the egg to a target. The delivery devices also are judged on design (creativity and materials) and weight (the lighter the better). "The contest encourages students to study mechanical design and materials selection," says Mike Paskowitz, coordinator. The event begins at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 23, at the Physics/Geology Building on the Davis campus.