Human
subtlety will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple or more
direct than does Nature, because in her inventions, nothing is lacking and
nothing is superfluous.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
In dealing with a scientific problem, I first arrange several experiments, and then show with reasons why such an experiment must necessarily operate in this and in no other way. This is the method which must be followed in all research upon the phenomenon of nature. We must consult experience in the variety of cases and circumstances until we can draw from them a general rule that is contained in them. And for what purposes are these rules good? They lead us to further investigations of nature and to creations of art. They prevent us from deceiving ourselves and others by promising results which are not obtainable. (Leonardo da Vinci)
Leonardo
da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance architect, musician, anatomist,
inventor, engineer, sculptor, geometer, painter (and a very cool talented
artistic creative scientist / philosopher!).
Leonardo is famous for his masterly paintings, such as The Last Supper and Mona Lisa. He is also known for designing many inventions that anticipated modern technology, although few of these designs were constructed in his lifetime. In addition, he helped advance the study of anatomy, astronomy, and civil engineering. Renaissance humanism saw no mutually exclusive polarities between sciences and arts.
Leonardo da Vinci’s studies in science and engineering were recorded in notebooks comprising some 13,000 pages of notes and drawings. These notes were made and maintained through Leonardo's travels through Europe, during which he made continual observations of the world around him. His approach to science was an observatory one: he tried to understand a phenomenon by describing and depicting it in utmost detail, and did not emphasize experiments or theoretical explanations. Since he lacked formal education in Latin and mathematics, contemporary scholars mostly ignored Leonardo the scientist.
da Vinci started to discover the anatomy of the human body at the time he was apprenticed to Andrea del Verrocchio, (at age fourteen) as his art teacher insisted that all his pupils learn anatomy. Fascinated by the phenomenon of flight, Leonardo produced detailed studies of the flight of birds, and plans for several flying machines, including a helicopter powered by four men and a light hang-glider.
In 1502 Leonardo da Vinci produced a drawing of a single span 720-foot (240 m) bridge as part of a civil engineering project for Sultan Beyazid II of Constantinople. Owing to his sometime employment as a military engineer, his notebooks also contain several designs for military machines: guns, an armoured tank, cluster bombs, etc. even though he later held war to be the worst of human activities. Other inventions include a submarine, a cog-wheeled device that has been interpreted as the first mechanical calculator, and a car powered by a spring mechanism. In his years in the Vatican, he planned an industrial use of solar power, by employing concave mirrors to heat water.
Why Leonardo did not publish or otherwise distribute the contents of his notebooks remains a mystery to those who believe that Leonardo wanted to make his observations public knowledge. They remained obscure until the 19th century, and were not directly of value to the development of science and technology. Leonardo da Vinci will nonetheless be remembered as the archetype of the "Renaissance man".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_vinci
The
painter's mind is a copy of the divine mind, since it operates freely in
creating the many kinds of animals, plants, fruits, landscapes, countrysides,
ruins, and awe-inspiring places by promising results which are not obtainable.
Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen.
For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.
As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death.
Iron rusts from disuse; water loses its purity from stagnation... even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind.
I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do. (Leonardo da Vinci)
"When
forced to summarize the general theory of relativity in one sentence: Time
and space and gravitation have no separate existence from matter. ... Physical
objects are not in space, but these objects are spatially extended.
In this way the concept 'empty space' loses its meaning. ... The particle
can only appear as a limited region in space in which the field strength
or the energy density are particularly high. ...
The free, unhampered exchange of ideas and scientific conclusions
is necessary for the sound development of science, as it is in all spheres
of cultural life. ... We must not conceal from ourselves that no
improvement in the present depressing situation is possible without a severe
struggle; for the handful of those who are really determined to do something
is minute in comparison with the mass of the lukewarm and the misguided.
...
Humanity is going to need a substantially new way of thinking if
it is to survive!" (Albert Einstein)
Our world is in great trouble due to human
behaviour founded on myths and customs that are causing the destruction
of Nature and climate
change. We can now deduce
the most simple science theory of reality - the wave structure of matter
in space. By understanding how we and everything around us are interconnected
in Space we can then deduce solutions to the fundamental problems of
human knowledge in physics,
philosophy, metaphysics,
theology,
education,
health, evolution
and ecology, politics
and society.
This is the profound new way of thinking that Einstein
realised, that we exist as spatially extended structures of the universe
- the discrete and separate body an illusion. This simply confirms the intuitions
of the ancient
philosophers and mystics.
Given the current censorship
in physics / philosophy of science journals (based on the standard
model of particle physics / big
bang cosmology) the internet is the best hope for getting new knowledge
known to the world. But that depends on you, the people who care about science
and society, realise the importance of truth and reality.
It is easy to help - just click on the social network sites (below) or grab
a nice image / quote you like and add it to your favourite blog,
wiki or forum. We are listed as one of the top
philosophy sites on the Internet (300,000 page views / week) and have
a wonderful collection of knowledge from the greatest minds in human history,
so people will appreciate your contributions. Thanks! Geoff
Haselhurst - Karene
Howie - Email
Come and say hello to Geoffrey - Support simple sensible science that works.
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