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Temperature is an emergent property of having many, many atoms. Temperature itself can make no sense when you look at single atoms, and it gets weird when you do so. It's actually possible to heat a single atom up enough (and in a very specific way) to give it a negative temperature. It has to do with some weird thermodynamic properties that I don't understand but is fun nonetheless.

EDIT: I'm talking about negative temperatures using the Kelvin scale, so 0 degrees is absolute zero and you can't get lower than that. But it's possible to fuck around with an atom in such a way where the temperature is below absolute zero, which doesn't make it cold but makes it hot instead. Science is weird.
 
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Van Gogh didn’t actually cut off his ear to give to a prostitute, that was just an urban legend that’s been around for centuries. The actual story is that he was at one of his buddies’s houses partying, they both got blackout drunk, started fighting, and Van Gogh grabbed his buddy’s razor to try to intimidate him, and then completely forgot what he was doing and for reasons God only knows proceeded to take the razor and slash off a part of his earlobe. According to accounts, when he woke up the next morning he didn’t realize something was up until he felt a sharp pain on his ear and realized he was covered in gauze.

M.C Escher, the dude who’s famous for his piece “relativity” featuring a room filled with staircases going up and down every possible angle, was originally an architect. It’s the reason most of his art prominently featured surreal rooms and structures, and he used mathematics to meticulously plan out the layouts of every piece he did. He was also pretty neglected in the art world during his time. He didn’t receive any actual recognition until he was 70, and by then all he got was an exibhition featuring a bunch of his old art. It’s a shame too, he’s one of my favorite artists.

John Wayne Gacy himself took up painting during the final years of his life on death row, and maybe it’s the overall low quality of his art, the bizarre subject matter in his paintings, or just the fact that he’s an infamous fucking serial killer, but his work is widely known for being really unsettling.
 
Count groudon said:
Van Gogh didn’t actually cut off his ear to give to a prostitute, that was just an urban legend that’s been around for centuries. The actual story is that he was at one of his buddies’s houses partying, they both got blackout drunk, started fighting, and Van Gogh grabbed his buddy’s razor to try to intimidate him, and then completely forgot what he was doing and for reasons God only knows proceeded to take the razor and slash off a part of his earlobe. According to accounts, when he woke up the next morning he didn’t realize something was up until he felt a sharp pain on his ear and realized he was covered in gauze.
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But he did still mail it to a girl, right
 
Count groudon said:
Van Gogh didn’t actually cut off his ear to give to a prostitute, that was just an urban legend that’s been around for centuries. The actual story is that he was at one of his buddies’s houses partying, they both got blackout drunk, started fighting, and Van Gogh grabbed his buddy’s razor to try to intimidate him, and then completely forgot what he was doing and for reasons God only knows proceeded to take the razor and slash off a part of his earlobe. According to accounts, when he woke up the next morning he didn’t realize something was up until he felt a sharp pain on his ear and realized he was covered in gauze.

M.C Escher, the dude who’s famous for his piece “relativity” featuring a room filled with staircases going up and down every possible angle, was originally an architect. It’s the reason most of his art prominently featured surreal rooms and structures, and he used mathematics to meticulously plan out the layouts of every piece he did. He was also pretty neglected in the art world during his time. He didn’t receive any actual recognition until he was 70, and by then all he got was an exibhition featuring a bunch of his old art. It’s a shame too, he’s one of my favorite artists.

John Wayne Gacy himself took up painting during the final years of his life on death row, and maybe it’s the overall low quality of his art, the bizarre subject matter in his paintings, or just the fact that he’s an infamous fucking serial killer, but his work is widely known for being really unsettling.
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Y2K Baby said:
But he did still mail it to a girl, right
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That wasn't a meme. I remember reading that the incident wasn't about the girl (never read it being a prostitute) but he still sent part of his ear as an expression of love.
 
Y2K Baby said:
But he did still mail it to a girl, right
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Honestly I’m not sure. I just remember reading the actual story a few years ago and laughing my ass off that the bullshit I’ve heard my whole life wasn’t real and that the truth was way more insane. Given how crazy Van Gogh was, it’s pretty likely he did.

He was also a bit of a weeb. He would cantsantly blow the money his brother gave him for art supplies to buy vintage Japanese art scrolls. He claimed they inspired him and kept him focused on his work.
 
Count groudon said:
Van Gogh was also a bit of a weeb. He would cantsantly blow the money his brother gave him for art supplies to buy vintage Japanese art scrolls. He claimed they inspired him and kept him focused on his work.
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Weebism (Japonisme) was a big thing in turn-of-century France. This is author Emile Zola painted by Manet:
Edouard_Manet_049.jpg



And many of Degas's poses were inspired by what was the progenitor of manga:
37185944174_7859b29de7_b.jpg
 
A scale exists called the Schmidt Sting Pain Index, which measures the pain levels of many different insect bites and stings. There are four levels in all, ranging from one to four: A level one, for example, would be most small bees, while the sting of a bullet ant is ranked at the highest - a four. Very interesting list, but between you and me I think Mr. Schmidt here is quite the masochist.
 
SelmaHendersen said:
A scale exists called the Schmidt Sting Pain Index, which measures the pain levels of many different insect bites and stings. There are four levels in all, ranging from one to four: A level one, for example, would be most small bees, while the sting of a bullet ant is ranked at the highest - a four. Very interesting list, but between you and me I think Mr. Schmidt here is quite the masochist.
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I own ten.
 
When Pope Julius II became pope in 1503 he quickly disavowed the life of the previous pope who had a life of incest and treachery

"I will not live in the same rooms as the Borgias lived. He [Alexander VI] desecrated the Holy Church as none before. He usurped the papal power by the devil's aid, and I forbid under the pain of excommunication anyone to speak or think of Borgia again. His name and memory must be forgotten. It must be crossed out of every document and memorial. His reign must be obliterated. All paintings made of the Borgias or for them must be covered over with black crepe. All the tombs of the Borgias must be opened and their bodies sent back to where they belong—to Spain."
 
Tetraphobia said:
When Pope Julius II became pope in 1503 he quickly disavowed the life of the previous pope who had a life of incest and treachery

"I will not live in the same rooms as the Borgias lived. He [Alexander VI] desecrated the Holy Church as none before. He usurped the papal power by the devil's aid, and I forbid under the pain of excommunication anyone to speak or think of Borgia again. His name and memory must be forgotten. It must be crossed out of every document and memorial. His reign must be obliterated. All paintings made of the Borgias or for them must be covered over with black crepe. All the tombs of the Borgias must be opened and their bodies sent back to where they belong—to Spain."
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After Julius II died, the Dutch humorist Erasmus wrote a short story called 'Julius Excluded from Heaven' where Julius goes to heaven and threatens to excommunicate St. Peter if he won't let him in.
 
One of China's more important foreign relations people during the 40s, 50s and 60s, Liao Chengzhi, apparently had a love for good cuisine:

Perhaps best known is his love of abundant good food and drink - which were partly responsible for his considerable weight despite his short stature of not much more than 160 cm, and which of course also contributed to the severity of his heart ailment.

"Once, while leading a delegation of Chinese officials to Africa he stopped the convoy of official cars that was touring the countryside in order to capture a large rat that had run across the road [...] he had the creature cooked and served for dinner."
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Count groudon said:
Van Gogh didn’t actually cut off his ear to give to a prostitute, that was just an urban legend that’s been around for centuries. The actual story is that he was at one of his buddies’s houses partying, they both got blackout drunk, started fighting, and Van Gogh grabbed his buddy’s razor to try to intimidate him, and then completely forgot what he was doing and for reasons God only knows proceeded to take the razor and slash off a part of his earlobe. According to accounts, when he woke up the next morning he didn’t realize something was up until he felt a sharp pain on his ear and realized he was covered in gauze.
Click to expand...

Huh. The version I heard was during the blackout drunk period, him and his buddy got a bit crazy, and his buddy cut him. Then Van Gogh made up the story about doing it himself so his friend wouldn't get in trouble.

Either way, mailing that piece of ear is legit crazy.
 
Elmer McCurdy's mummified body was used as a sideshow attraction; his body was found 65 years later in an amusement park when his arm broke off, revealing the muscles and bones.
 
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