information:classification, linguistic:paraphrasing
Tycho's nose

In 1566, Tycho left to study at the University of Rostock. There he studied with professors of medicine at the university's famous medical school and became interested in medical alchemy and herbal medicine. On 29 December 1566 at the age of 20, Tycho lost part of his nose in a sword duel with a fellow Danish nobleman, his third cousin Manderup Parsberg. The two had drunkenly quarreled over who was the superior mathematician at an engagement party at the home of Professor Lucas Bachmeister on 10 December. On 29 December, the cousins resolved their feud with a duel in the dark. Though the two were later reconciled, in the duel Tycho lost the bridge of his nose and gained a broad scar across his forehead.

He received the best possible care at the university and wore a prosthetic nose for the rest of his life. It was kept in place with paste or glue and said to be made of silver and gold. In November 2012, Danish and Czech researchers reported that the prosthesis was actually made of brass after chemically analyzing a small bone sample from the nose from the body exhumed in 2010. The prostheses made of gold and silver were mostly worn for special occasions, rather than everyday wear.