Dropping raw eggs off a five-story building takes talent only if you can get them to land without breaking. On Friday, Feb. 24, the 15th annual egg drop contest at UC Davis gets under way at 11:30 a.m. at the Physics/Geology Building. Contestants design and seal their payloads in styrofoam cups, cardboard boxes and plastic-filled cans. Entries will be judged on innovation and the application of engineering principles. The students will also be judged on accuracy of their egg drop. The popular contest is sponsored by a UC Davis student engineering organization called Materials Society. "The contest encourages students to study mechanical design and materials selection," says Michael Paskowitz, student coordinator of the event. Past entries have included a basketball filled with jello and a rocket-shaped device with a foam nose cone and balsa fins acting as the guidance sysem.