... is one of the many reasons I'm fascinated with him (look closely).
After an argument at a party at the University of Rostock in Germany in 1566, Brahe lands himself in a sword duel with fellow Danish nobleman (and third cousin) Manderup Parsberg (no, it wasn't over a woman; legend has it, the argument was over who was smarter). In the duel, Parsberg slashes Brahe's face, and Brahe loses a big chunk of the bridge of his nose. This triggers the renowned astronomer's career-long interest in medicine and alchemy. For the rest of his life, he wears a replacement nose of silver and gold, using a paste or glue (which he carried with him at all times) to keep the metal nose attached.
