10 Mind-Blowing Facts You Didn't Know About The Beatles
6. They Were Friends With A Mad Scientist
During the height of the Beatles fame, the band were surrounded by a colourful cast of characters with many of the extended entourage being aided in their creative aspirations through financial support from the group.
However, none of these holistic hangers-on were possibly quite as eccentric as the Greek former technology prodigy and possible real-life mad scientist Alexis 'Magic Alex' Mardas.
Alex had become close with the group following their decision to retire from touring, as they attempted to push the then-limited boundaries of recording to create more complex arrangements that would have been difficult to replicate on stage.
When the Beatles devised their multimedia Apple Corps corporation, Mardas was named head of technology and tasked with developing some of his technological innovations into consumer products. Alex also attempted unsuccessfully to convince The Beatles to undergo an operation known as trepanning, where a hole is drilled into one's skull, which he claimed would allow the group to open their third eye, and become cosmic.
After Mardas left Apple, it emerged that every British patent he had filed had been rejected on the grounds of unoriginality.