Soft Boiled Eggs & the Quest for Perfection

For years I have tried to cook the perfect soft boiled egg, an egg where all the white albumin is firm and all of the yolk is runny. I have come close, but never perfect.

A soft boiled egg presents problems not encountered in preparing other foods. The shell can not be seen into nor can any instruments be inserted to test whether it is done or not. You can use a timer, although time is only one of hundreds of variables in the process. You can read books and listen to elders. As last resort, you can try the force, intuition, and faith. All these techniques may get you close, but never perfect.

Maybe I should give up my quest and simply let the water boil until there is no possibility of a runny yolk. I could crack the egg and prepare it in a thousand of other ways. I mean, after all, aren't they all just eggs?