Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is one enigmatic masterpiece due to the mystery surrounding the real identity of the model. Speculations have been high, with some even pointing that it is actually a self-portrait of da Vinci himself.

But the answer to that mystery has already been found, quietly gazing at us from centuries-old books in the main library of Heidelberg University.

The full details after the jump!

  

Groans and moans have resonated when the first version of the Half-Life 2 box art came out. Team Xbox said it best when they asked "who did this, an intern?" The one to the left is obviously the old one and the one to the right is the one in it's all its improved glory.

Yup, the orange backdrop with the white text just ticked everyone off. Fortunately, Valve and EA sensed the frustration among their fans and critics, so they came up with something new. The second pack shot isn't the Mona Lisa, but it sure as heck beats the initial offering.

Like the box says, the package includes not only Half-Life 2 Episode 2, but also the strategic Team Fortress 2 where players must assume diverse roles and act as units to ensure success. A completely new spin-off called Portal is also in the mix to enrich the action and add fresh meat in a series which has been in the top-tier for quite a while now.

Now it can be told! Mona Lisa couldn't help her beguiling smile because she had just given birth to her second son when she sat for the painting, says a French art expert.

The conclusion was made based on Mona Lisa's dress which was covered in a thin, transparent gauze veil. "This type of gauze dress... was typical of the kind worn in early 16th century Italy by women who were pregnant or who had just given birth. This is something that had never been seen up to now because the painting was always judged to be dark and difficult to examine," said Bruno Mottin from French Museums' Centre for Research and Restoration.

Computer scientists from Canada's National Research Council (NRC) used special 3D technology to scan the painting on both sides to get a high resolution 3D image data that uncovered its secret. Based on this image, the centre also said that Leonardo daVinci made the painting to commemorate the birth of the second son of the lady Mona Lisa, around 1503.

She must have really been high on baby love to be able smile like that centuries before epidural was invented!
 

We've all wondered what's the reason behind that enigmatic smile from Mona Lisa, Leonardo Da Vinci's 16th century masterpiece. Considered to be the world's most famous painting, the Mona Lisa underwent the most extensive three dimensional scan ever undertaken for scientists to unveil her secrets. And now, the results will finally be revealed.

Scientists from Canada's National Research Council (NRC) used special 3D technology to scan the picture on both sides for that high resolution 3D image data of the whole painting. According to the NRC, this will shed new light on the history and condition of the work, as well as the great master's technique in painting. Da  Vinci's delicate hazy effect, known as the "sfumato" method, has generated a lot of wonder and awe from experts and aficionados alike.

The findings will be unveiled today ahead of a public lecture in Ottawa, where the Council promises their Mona Lisa model to allow both art history specialists and the general public to get closer than ever before without risking damage to the real picture. The portrait itself will remain in the Louvre museum in Paris.

The woman in the world-renowned portrait has been identified as Lisa Gherardini, wife of a Florentine merchant named Francesco de Giocondo.

While this may seem like good news and an advancement for art technology, one cannot help but wonder if this really is necessary. After all, there are certain things and secrets that were meant to be hidden. With these secrets revealed, it will definitely have an impact on Mona Lisa's mysterious aura, which is the basis of her appeal.

We'll keep you updated on more news on Mona Lisa and her secrets.

I don't think that there are hidden messages that Robert Langdon wannabes can interpret in this Mona Lisa picture so if this guy is looking for codes to decipher, well he's wasting his time. This particular creation was actually made from hundreds of computer parts that was on display at a high-tech exhibition in Beijing last May 25, 2006.

The creation was tagged as "Technology Smiling". Different ways of portraying Leonardo DaVinci's Mona Lisa has been sprouting like mushrooms and have been seen around the world these last few days as a promotional tool for the Ron Howard movie, starring Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou, The Da Vinci Code.