Physicists have now confirmed what many people have long suspected - that nothing in existence is cooler than Bill Hicks.
The legendary black-clad comedian, best-known for his acerbic diatribes against the establishment and the media, was an icon of cool whilst alive but, according to research, his premature death at the age of just 32 has sent his credibility soaring into the stratosphere (where it's remarkably chilly) and beyond.
Speaking of the findings, Professor Alphonse Fresco of Newcastle-over-Tyme University said "We've compared Bill to the coldest places and substances known to science and, frankly, he makes them look positively tropical - Bill would bring a chill breeze to the surface of the Sun. Trust me, those Plutonians don't know what nippy is"
Detailing the experimental procedure of his team he went on "We placed some Bill DNA into a vat of liquid nitrogen and were stunned to discover that the temperature had dropped by ten degrees. Incredibly, Bill has defeated the laws of physics."
Concluding he says "These findings mean that we have to seriously consider recalibrating Absolute Zero - and calling it 'Absolute Bill'."