weird_parse.rb

def foo
  -2.itself ** 2
end

def foo2
  (-2.itself) ** 2
end

def bar
  -2 ** 2
end

def bar2
  -(2 ** 2)
end

p foo, foo2, bar, bar2

=begin
$ruby weird_parse.rb
4
4
-4
-4
=end