I've often wondered this, but never had the courage to ask

my History of Classical Art professor:

How to Talk about Art History: “Why do all old statues have such small penises?” (NSFW)

In science news...

Stunning 3D animation reveals how the Sahara fertilises the rainforests of the AMAZON with 182 million tones of dust

Buddha statue reveals remains of mummified monk inside

Rats May Be Exonerated in European Plague, Say Scientists With a Gerbil Theory

More Siberian Craters Prompt Call for Urgent Investigation

'Early peanut intake could prevent allergy'

Blind man sees wife for the first time in a decade - here's how

Nifty

Ultraviolet light reveals how ancient Greek statues really looked

Original Greek statues were brightly painted, but after thousands of years, those paints have worn away. Find out how shining a light on the statues can be all that's required to see them as they were thousands of years ago.

Although it seems impossible to think that anything could be left to discover after thousands of years of wind, sun, sand, and art students, finding the long lost patterns on a piece of ancient Greek sculpture can be as easy as shining a lamp on it. A technique called ‘raking light' has been used to analyze art for a long time. A lamp is positioned carefully enough that the path of the light is almost parallel to the surface of the object. When used on paintings, this makes brushstrokes, grit, and dust obvious. On statues, the effect is more subtle. Brush-strokes are impossible to see, but because different paints wear off at different rates, the stone is raised in some places – protected from erosion by its cap of paint – and lowered in others. Elaborate patterns become visible.

Ultraviolet is also used to discern patterns. UV light makes many organic compounds fluoresce. Art dealers use UV lights to check if art has been touched up, since older paints have a lot of organic compounds and modern paints have relatively little. On ancient Greek statues, tiny fragments of pigment still left on the surface glow bright, illuminating more detailed patterns.

Read the article to find out more. The illustrations/reconstructions are very interesting.

Okay, nothing against Christians, but you know, God doesn't like idolatry (and tacky idolatry at that)

I have to admit the Pagan (me) and Jew (YKWIA) were quite amused by this bit of weird news:

6-story Jesus statue in Ohio struck by lightning: Sculpture nicknamed 'Touchdown Jesus' because of way arms were raised

A six-story statue of Jesus Christ was struck by lightning and burned to the ground, leaving only a blackened steel skeleton and pieces of foam that were scooped up by curious onlookers Tuesday.

Nor were we the only ones who found it amusing:

19 reasons why God torched Jesus

Never let it be said that God does not appreciate irony. Never let it be said that God does not have a sense of humor. Never let it be said that God loves tacky Styrofoam parade float lawn statue things that look like Charles Manson dipped in bleach and marshmallows and lost dreams.

I am sorry the church had such a high loss--$300,000 for the statue (!) plus another $400,000 for the amphitheatre. I am also sorry that there are people who are genuinely upset and fail to see the irony. But still...

Plus...
'Touchdown Jesus' Burns to Ground As Porn Shop Goes Unscathed

The "Touchdown Jesus," a six-story tall statue (also known as "Big Butter Jesus") outside an Ohio church, was torched by a lightning bolt late Monday night and completely incinerated. In a demonstration of God's keen sense of irony, the "Hollywood Hustler" sign at a nearby porn shop was left unscathed.