Leonardo da Vinci and his sleep schedule

Da Vinci was a painter, an engineer, a writer, a sculptor, an inventor, an architect, a pioneer in exploring human anatomy, an avid animal lover and possibly one of the most famous vegetarians who ever lived. It seems that there’s nothing that this man did not do. Yet there was, it was sleeping. He wasn’t a fan of it and after conducting careful research and building up his knowledge, he started following the polyphasic sleep cycle. To put it in other words, Da Vinci’s sleep would consist of several short naps in each 24-hour period. Being The Renaissance man is not so easy.

Michelangelo and his hygiene

The Sistine Chapel in Vatican City might be celestial, but its creator, Michelangelo, one of the most important names in Western art’s history, was far from that. And for a simple reason, which is hygiene. Michelangelo slept with his clothes and boots on, without removing them for days. He avoided showering and even considered it a health hazard. Well, he might have had a point, because he lived until he was 89.

Virginia Woolf, Nietzsche and the standing desk

Even though these two figures don’t seem to have many things in common, the British modernist Virginia Woolf, together with the subversive German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche could see themselves working in a modern office as long as they would be provided with a standing desk. They both wrote while standing up, considering it to be the only proper way to achieve something of meaning.

Ludwig van Beethoven and the 60 coffee beans

Ludwig van Beethoven did write the glorious “Symphony No. 9,” which is now the anthem of European Union, while being already deaf, but, of course, that’s just the tip of the iceberg of his input into musical history. Yet stellar results require astronomic discipline. Each morning Beethoven counted by hand 60 coffee beans from which he would make his perfect cup of coffee. Also, in order to restart his creative muscles after writing too much music, he would pour cold water on his head.

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【颠覆性的】diānfùxìng de subversive seeking or intended to subvert an established system or institution

【一流的】yīliú de stellar outstanding

不爱睡觉的达芬奇

达芬奇是一名画家、工程师、作家、雕塑家、发明家、建筑师、探索人类解剖学的先驱、狂热的动物爱好者，可能还是有史以来最有名的素食者之一。似乎没有什么事情是达芬奇没做过的。但是有一件事是达芬奇不爱做的，那就是睡觉。在进行了认真的研究，积累了相关知识之后，他开始采用多相睡眠法。换言之，达芬奇在一天时间内小睡多次但是每次只睡一点时间。做文艺复兴代表人物可不是那么容易的事。

不讲卫生的米开朗基罗

梵蒂冈的西斯廷教堂也许美得出尘脱俗，但它的创造者 —— 西方美术史上最重要的人物之一米开朗基罗却远非如此。原因很简单，就是卫生问题。米开朗基罗穿着衣服和靴子睡觉，而且好多天都不脱。他很少洗澡，甚至认为洗澡会危害身体健康。不过，他的观点也许有道理，因为他活到了89岁。

站着写作的伍尔芙和尼采

尽管这两个人似乎没太多共同点，但英国现代主义作家弗吉尼亚▪伍尔芙和德国颠覆性哲学家弗里德里希▪尼采都适合有站立式办公桌的现代办公室。两人都是站着写作，他们认为只有这样才能写出有意义的东西。

贝多芬的60粒咖啡豆

贝多芬确实是在耳聋的状态下写出辉煌的《第九交响曲》的，这首曲子现已成为欧盟的盟歌。但这只是贝多芬的音乐轶事的冰山一角。诚然，只有极端的自律才能达到这样非凡的成就。每天早上贝多芬都要用手精确地数出60粒咖啡豆来泡出完美的咖啡。此外，为了重启因写作了太多乐章而疲软的创造力，他会往头上浇冷水。

(Chinadaily.com.cn)