Sherlock's Fun Facts and Trivia

[J.P.]

The patch is prepared with a small explosive, that is remotely controlled. Sometimes both the weapon and the patch are remotely controlled to go off simultaneously.

 

Here is a pic of Danny with his controll box:

 

[Van Buren Supernova]

Nice..!

If I were ever in charge of that thing in my office, I would show it to anyone who try to meet me while looking at them square in the eyes I have planted the squib somewhere on your clothes, if you take one more step I will press the button.

[Van Buren Supernova]

The technique Sherlock uses in deducing fake Vermeer painting (and non-existent supernova XD) is a real method known as 'astronomical chronology'.

Plucked for proper write up.

 

 

Similar method was used by astrophysicist Donald Olson and team to estimate the time Monet sat down to paint Sunset, by taking series of angular declination measurements to calculate the path of the sun once they found the landmark of the coast.

 

 

How Sherlock-style forensics allowed astrophysicists to date this Monet masterpiece

 

A software capable of winding back the clock, astronomically, by reversing the motion of stars, to get the rough date range. Further sleuthing by the team was then done by investigating series of letter Monet wrote during his trip to this area (Normandy) and careful tide observations, the team are confident they had narrowed it down to a very detailed timing: 5th February 1883, 16:53pm.

 

 

P.S. Astronomical chronology also face criticism by some historians claiming that while it's a powerful tool, it has possibility to be misleading as well.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I've read a number of articles where famous paintings, stories, etc., are dated and/or placed; they've been printed in Sky & Telescope magazine. I love that kinda stuff!

 

The only one I can offhand recall well enough to locate online can be found by googling its title, "Astronomical Sleuths Link Krakatoa to Edvard Munch's Painting The Scream." It's an interesting example of the genre, though not one of the most intricate.

[Arcadia]

I have to admit, as an artist, my first thought was "who cares." :P But then the scientist side of me kicked in and I agree the degree of specificity is kinda cool. But do the answers make any difference to the appreciation of the artwork?

 

And is that the time Monet sat down to paint, or the time he finished painting? He was known to paint one painting over a period of several days.

[Arcadia]

Also, artists are known to move things around to suit their composition rather than copying exactly what they see in front of them. Just sayin'.... ;)

[Carol the Dabbler]

Oh hush, you spoilsport!

 

I assume that what the researchers are attempting to determine is the time represented in the painting.

[Van Buren Supernova]

...But then the scientist side of me kicked in and I agree the degree of specificity is kinda cool. But do the answers make any difference to the appreciation of the artwork?

I would say yes.

There is something, romantic maybe, about knowing the estimated time. You can make your own stories and imagination that makes the artwork more familiar, I guess.

 

Maybe on 4th Feb, after finally freeing himself from the boring tea party he decided to walk around the beach for inspiration. Nothing to be seen except people, so he walked further and found a secret passage to another stretch of beach and came across magnificent sunset at the end.

 

The next day on the 5th, packing his supplies he disappeared from his acquaintances and headed to the same spot around 4pm, munching sandwich and thinking about anything while waiting, maybe one day people would have lack of solitary time because they would be so connected by technology, maybe 12 years later a great timeless fictional character would be created and still be popular a century later? He then laughed at his ridiculous and impossible thought and start flicking sands from his brush because the sun started to set.

Yadda...yadda...

 

And is that the time Monet sat down to paint, or the time he finished painting? He was known to paint one painting over a period of several days.

Also, artists are known to move things around to suit their composition rather than copying exactly what they see in front of them. Just sayin'.... ;)

I thought of those too. Another stroke of orange or pink added for compositition and preference may mean something different to the analysts.

 

You are right, but Carol is right-er: spoilsport!!

 

I've read a number of articles where famous paintings, stories, etc., are dated and/or placed; they've been printed in Sky & Telescope magazine. I love that kinda stuff!

The only one I can offhand recall well enough to locate online can be found by googling its title, "Astronomical Sleuths Link Krakatoa to Edvard Munch's Painting The Scream." It's an interesting example of the genre, though not one of the most intricate.

 

Thanks, I googled it, interesting read indeed.

 

"One of the high points of our research trip to Oslo came when we rounded a bend in the road and realized we were standing in the exact spot where Munch had been 120 years ago," Olson recalls. "It was very satisfying to stand in the exact spot where an artist had his experience," he adds. "The real importance of finding the location, though, was to determine the direction of view in the painting. We could see that Munch was looking to the southwest — exactly where the Krakatoa twilights appeared in the winter of 1883-84."

Don't do ittt..don't do ittt... too late...

But can't help to see some things don't add up.

 

Krakatoa was/is located around Java Island, which is almost on the other side of the world, the estimated distance between Norway (presumably) to Java is around 11406km (7086miles). That is whopping distance.

 

It is said that the record showed that there were indeed red twilight glow seen in Norway, provided those were trustworthy, that it was much more striking and inspiring that drew more attention than usual sky, but the direction?

 

 

A for Norway, B for Krakatoa.

Isn't Norway ---> Krakatoa is looking Southeast (Instead of Southwest?)

(But the earth is round so eventually it still possible?)

[Carol the Dabbler]

I suspect it depends on the prevailing direction of the relevant high-altitude winds.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I just remembered another good one -- you can google "Under a Frankenstein Moon: Astronomer Sleuths Solve Mary Shelley Mystery."

[Van Buren Supernova]

That is interesting, and how the team made all those efforts, and it's the same team with the Monet one. I imagine it must be fun to do all those researches.

 

Which reminds me how amazing technology and resources nowadays compared to back then. I wonder if there is any scientist-detective-forensic who is trying to work out classic unsolved murder mysteries as well, like Jack the Ripper for example.

[Arcadia]

There must be, because I keep seeing programs about the latest research on Jack the Ripper on TV. Rather, I see that they are on TV ... I don't watch them. Much. Maybe a little. Until the descriptions get too grisly.

[Van Buren Supernova]

John did not ride bicycle to work around the time Sherlock was away/just came back.

There are neat unused bicycle racks just outside his buiding.

[J.P.]

There are surely special racks for the emploees somewhere else, those in the pic are only for visitors/patients.

[Van Buren Supernova]

Ah, you did not observe, Owlie.

[Arcadia]

But that's on the left, where John, quite properly, parked. The one on the right is for anyone who  is not staff or patients. :P

[Van Buren Supernova]

Yah. And he came from across the street because he just got his taco for breakfast. :p

[besleybean]

Gosh how we wander...we definitely need S 4!

[SherlockedCAMPer]

is what we do best even when it isn't a true hijack

[besleybean]

:S

[Van Buren Supernova]

Atropa belladonna, also called deadly nightshade, is used by Sherlock Holmes in The Adventure of The Dying Detective to keep his 'poisoned' appearance, specifically on his eyes, in order to bait a murderer for confession.

 

 

The name means 'beautiful woman', comes from its use by Italian women to make them look attractive by causing their pupils to dilate.

As former ophthalmologists, ACD would have been aware of its characteristics.

 

(Atropa Belladonna plant itself is one of the most toxic plants that can be lethal, however with right processes and doses, it is useful in medical world for various purposes.)

 

 

Belladonna in real murder case:

 

A doctor named Robert Buchanan followed a murder case with great interest, where a medical student was convicted of killing his wife, trying to attribute the death as stroke. However, he was convicted because the pinpoint pupils led the investigator to detect morphine overdose.

 

Buchanan decided to perfect this murder.

 

In 1892, he murdered his own wife with fatal dose of morphine and covered it up as stroke as well, perfecting it by avoiding the telltale of pinpoint pupil with Atrope Belladonna.

 

However, a reporter named Ike White suspected something was amiss and influenced the authority to reexamine the case.

 

Warning for animal lover, especially cats for content below.

 

.

 

 

Gruesome experiment was done to counter Buchanan's defense. A cat was brought into the courtroom. As the jury members, judge, lawyers and spectator watched, it was injected with lethal dose morphine and drops of atropine (alkaloid from belladonna) was applied in its eyes to show the jury members how the dying cat's pupils were dilated.

 

Dr. Robert Buchanan was convinted in 1893 and executed in Sing Sing, 1895.

[Arcadia]

Not like. :(

[Van Buren Supernova]

I spent a lot of time on that!

Yah, it got ugly when I stumbled upon the cat one. That was horrible. Remember reading about similar thing elsewhere, or perhaps the one I read back then referred to this. Sincerely hope it's not common method.

 

Alrite. Alrite. I promise next one from me should be happier one.

 

fussy! :p

[Arcadia]

I applaud your effort, just ... eww. What a waste of a furry little life.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I'm trying to take comfort in the thought that at least the poor little kitty died happy. (I assume that would be the effect.)