Tycho Brahe, mad alchemist, eccentric administrator, genius astronomer, died one day of a burst bladder. Legend had it that the world-renowned inventor and discoverer cared more about obeying polite etiquette than the sovereign needs of his body. Drinking like a fish and holding it in too long leads to wetting yourself or worse, suffering an inner leak.
One bout of septicaemia later, Tycho Brahe turned in his gold and silver nose, to the great displeasure of his unwilling body; despite the unpleasant manner of his passing, the science of the stars at least benefited from the gift of his scientific writings. For anyone today seeking to understand the man rather than the savant, all you need do is look at a full or half moon: there you will see, split at the bottom and stretching up towards the top, an immense and sparkling crater.
