'I remember clear as day, because it takes a second when something is that bad,' said Kaley Cuoco

The auto workers’ strike against Detroit’s Big Three is now in its fourth day

The Mona Lisa has been the subject of awe and fascination for centuries, with experts from around the world desperate to solve the mystery behind her iconic, enigmatic smile. Now, thanks to X-ray technology, scientists have begun to uncover the secrets of Leonardo da Vinci’s legendary portrait, and explain how he was able to create something so mind-bending with just a few strokes of a brush. The research, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society on Wednesday, suggests that the Italian Renaissance master may have been in a particularly inventive mood when set about crafting the piece in the early 16th century. "He was someone who loved to experiment, and each of his paintings is completely different technically," Victor Gonzalez, the study's lead author, told the Associated Press.. Gonzalez, who has studied the chemical compositions of dozens of works by Leonardo and other artists, discovered that there was something special about the paint used for the Mona Lisa. Specifically, the researchers found a rare compound, called plumbonacrite, in Leonardo's first layer of paint. The discovery confirmed that Leonardo most likely used lead oxide powder to thicken and help dry his paint as he began working on the portrait. He is thought to have dried the powder, which has an orange colour, in linseed or walnut oil by heating the mixture to make a thicker, faster-drying paste. "What you will obtain is an oil that has a very nice golden colour," Gonzalez said. "It flows more like honey." Carmen Bambach, a specialist in Italian art and curator at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, who was not involved in the study, called the research "very exciting". She emphasised that any scientifically proven new insights into Leonardo's painting techniques are "extremely important news for the art world and our larger global society." Finding plumbonacrite in the Mona Lisa attests "to Leonardo's spirit of passionate and constant experimentation as a painter—it is what renders him timeless and modern," Bambach said. The paint fragment Gonzalez and his team analysed for their study was taken from the base layer of the painting and was barely visible to the naked eye. It was no larger than the diameter of a human hair, and came from the top right-hand edge of the picture that now takes pride of place in Paris’s Louvre Museum. The scientists peered into the sample’s atomic structure using X-rays in a synchrotron – a large machine that accelerates particles to almost the speed of light. This allowed them to unravel the speck's chemical makeup and detect the plumbonacrite. The compound is a byproduct of lead oxide, allowing the researchers to say with more certainty that Leonardo likely used the powder in his paint recipe. "Plumbonacrite is really a fingerprint of his recipe," Gonzalez said. "It's the first time we can actually chemically confirm it." After Leonardo, Dutch master Rembrandt may have used a similar recipe when he was painting in the 17th century; Gonzalez and other researchers have previously found plumbonacrite in his work, too. "It tells us also that those recipes were passed on for centuries," Gonzalez said. "It was a very good recipe." Still, the ‘Mona Lisa’—said by the Louvre to be a portrait of Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a Florentine silk merchant—and other works by Leonardo still have other secrets to tell. "There are plenty, plenty more things to discover, for sure,” Gonzalez said. “We are barely scratching the surface.” Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Wayne Rooney made a shock U-turn and signed a new five-year deal at Manchester United on this day in 2010. It came as quite a shock when Rooney signed a new contract just two days after the United and England striker had announced his intention to quit Old Trafford when he released a statement which questioned the club’s ambition. The then 24-year-old let rip at the club’s leadership and said he would not be agreeing new terms following meetings with chief executive David Gill. “During those meetings in August I asked for assurances about the continued ability of the club to attract the top players in the world,” said Rooney. “I met with David Gill last week he did not give me any of the assurances I was seeking about the future squad. I then told him that I would not be signing a new contract.” Reports of Rooney’s dissatisfaction had been rumbling for a few days, with a “dumbfounded” manager Sir Alex Ferguson also confirming the forward’s desire to leave. Ferguson said: “We are as bemused as anyone can be, we can’t quite understand why he would want to leave. “I was dumbfounded. Only months before he was saying he was at the greatest club in the world.” Rumours started to spread about Rooney wanting to ditch United for rivals Manchester City, who were among many of the clubs keen to sign him, something which led to around 30 protesters gathering outside his Cheshire home. Given the strength of Rooney’s statement, nobody expected the Liverpudlian to put pen to paper on a new contract. Rooney’s U-turn came after conversations with Ferguson and the club’s owners who convinced the England international to commit his future to the club. “I’m delighted to sign another deal at United,” he said. “I’ve spoken to the manager and the owners and they’ve convinced me this is where I belong.” Ferguson added: “I think Wayne now understands what a great club Manchester United is.” Rooney, who had joined United from Everton in 2004, stayed at the club for a further seven years and went on to become the club’s record scorer with 253 goals. Read More Sevilla promise strong action against supporter who racially abused Vinicius Jr Steve Borthwick upbeat about England’s future after agonising World Cup defeat United’s first-half display did little to honour Sir Bobby Charlton – Erik ten Hag Diogo Dalot ensures Manchester United honour Sir Bobby Charlton with victory Rory McIlroy open to idea of investing in Man Utd after buying stake in Alpine Mikel Arteta pinpoints moment Arsenal made ‘phenomenal’ response at Chelsea

The WWE community is mourning the loss of Bray Wyatt, who has passed away 'suddenly' aged 36. A health issue meant he hadn't been involved in wrestling much in 2023, however, his family have confirmed his death was unexpected. Wyatt was a three-time world champion. "Very unique, cool and rare character, which is hard to create in our crazy world of pro wrestling", Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson commented on X, formerly known as Twitter. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

SAVE $100: Following the release of the Google Pixel 7a on May 10, the Google

By Carolina Mandl GREENWICH, Connecticut Ray Dalio, founder of hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, said on Tuesday that the

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Pep Guardiola is wary of an Everton side he feels should not be in a relegation battle. Guardiola takes treble-chasing Manchester City to Goodison Park on Sunday for a match crucial at both ends of the Premier League table. Leaders City need points to retain their advantage over title rivals Arsenal while the Toffees are battling for survival. Everton have endured a miserable campaign but they dramatically boosted their hopes of beating the drop by claiming a stunning 5-1 win at European hopefuls Brighton on Monday. “They have the history and the quality of team to not be in this position,” said City manager Guardiola. “Brighton is one of the toughest places to go and the result had a real impact, I am sure, not just in the table but in their mood. “Brighton have had incredible results against Wolves and Man United but immediately they were surprised by two early goals. “The defensive structure, the physicality Everton have, is really good and anything can happen in a football game.” The importance of the fixture means City cannot afford to ease up ahead of the second leg of their Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid next Wednesday. The champions played out a 1-1 draw with the Spanish giants at the Bernabeu Stadium on Tuesday. The challenge facing them at Goodison will be completely different and Guardiola recognises it requires a change of mindset. “The way they play is special, we have to adapt as quickly as possible,” he said. “There are four games left in the Premier League and it is really important for us to be there, to keep our destiny – or what you play for – in our hands and we have to prepare as best as possible. “When we play for all competitions, you have to switch and adapt.” The human being can have incredible energy that you don't believe you have. Pep Guardiola Guardiola admits his side’s current schedule is draining but, with the team still firing on three fronts, he expects their determination and winning mentality to carry them through. He said: “Winning helps to be better. It you win the previous game your mental recovery is better. “The human being has incredible resources to move forward, keep going. If you desire mentally, the human being can have incredible energy that you don’t believe you have.” City will check on the fitness of defender Nathan Ake, who missed the game in Spain through injury. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Moises Caicedo has no point to prove against admirers Arsenal – Roberto De Zerbi Jurgen Klopp happy Liverpool ‘could show up a little bit’ before end of season On this day in 2006: Liverpool win thrilling FA Cup final against West Ham

WASHINGTON The White House will announce on Friday $26 million in new funding to improve U.S. aviation safety