One of history's leading 16th-century astronomers, Tycho Brahe, was also an alchemist who kept the secrets of that pursuit under wraps. AdvertisementAfter his death, Brahe's elaborate laboratory and observatory was destroyed, taking many of its secrets with it. Rasmussen and colleagues recently analyzed the shards for evidence of 31 trace elements to determine which Brahe may have used in his laboratory. In addition to medical experiments, Brahe could have been trying to uncover the secrets of other minerals. The endless search for better medicineTycho Brahe's laboratory was destroyed after his death.

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Persons: history's, Tycho Brahe, —, Brahe, elixirs Brahe, Kaare Lund Rasmussen, we've, Lawrence Principe, — Brahe, Rasmussen, you've, Tycho Brahe's, who's, Principe Organizations: Service, Business, Heritage, Johns Hopkins University, Science, Society Picture Library Locations: what's, Swedish, Ven, Principe