Without a doubt, Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519) is the embodiment of the term Renaissance man. His genius crossed into so many different areas—artist, architect, inventor, and master of all things scientific. All this from a man who had no formal education beyond basic reading, writing, and math.
Until the 2003 publication of Dan Brown's THE DA VINCI CODE,
he was best known as the artist who painted two of the world's most famous
paintings—Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. But there was so much more to him than his
artistic creations.
His genius knew no bounds. With a combination of intellect and imagination, he created (at least on paper) such inventions as the bicycle, helicopter, and an airplane that he based on the physiology and flying capability of a bat.
So, without further ado and in no particular order, here is a list of Leonardo da Vinci's ten best ideas. All of the images used here are Da Vinci's original drawings.
THE VITRUVIAN MAN
Thanks to Da Vinci, this drawing is considered one of the
most recognizable figures on earth. He
modeled his perfect human form after the proportions set forth by ancient Roman
architect Vitruvius.
GEOLOGIC TIME
While the scientists
of his time explained inland and mountain top mollusk fossils as something
leftover from the Bible's Great Flood, Leonardo disagreed. He believed the mountains were once coastline
before many years of gradually shifting upwards.
THE SELF-PROPELLED CAR
His designs for a self-propelled vehicle were revolutionary
for his time. His wooden vehicle moved
by the interaction of springs and geared wheels. In 2004, scientists at a museum in Florence,
Italy, built a replica. It worked just
as Da Vinci had intended.
THE IDEAL CITY
Living in plague-ravaged Milan, he envisioned a more
efficient city. His architectural
drawings were very detailed and even included horse stables and fresh air
vents. To the disappointment of many of
Milan's modern day residents, there wasn't any provision for a soccer stadium.
Even though most modern scientists agree it would never have
gotten off the ground, Da Vinci's helicopter design is still one of his most
famous. It was meant to be operated by a
four-man crew and probably inspired by the windmill toy popular in his time.
THE TRIPLE-BARRELED CANNON
Da Vinci's distaste for conflict didn't stop him from coming
up with designs for more efficient cannons.
His triple-barrel design would have been a deadly weapon of war.
THE WINGED GLIDER
His imagination soared with ideas for various types of
flying machines, including gliders with flappable wings. His open-shelled glider model had seats and
gears for the pilot.
THE REVOLVING BRIDGE
As a fan of the quick getaway, he thought his revolving
bridge would be best used in warfare.
His design was made of light weight yet sturdy materials affixed to a
rolling rope-and-pulley system and allowed an army to change locations on a
moment's notice.
SCUBA GEAR
Da Vinci had a true fascination with the oceans and had many
designs for aquatic exploration. His
diving suit was made from leather and connected to a snorkel made of cane and a
bell that floated on the surface.
MIRROR WRITING
For whatever reason, he liked mirror writing with most of his journals written in reverse.
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