Da Vinci is often described as being a true Renaissance polymath: that is, a person who wishes to understand all branches of knowledge. 
His scientific method consisted of a mix of observation of the world around him and the physical experimentation with, and construction of, new inventions, aided by preliminary sketches.

The Scientist Named Da Vinci

A lack of a formal structure to his education is precisely what enabled Da Vinci to be such a free thinker and such a good scientist. Da Vinci's scientific interests, inventions and experiments spread out vastly into numerous different areas of science. Not only was he interested in chemistry and geology but also in astronomy, pyrotechnics, biology (or zoology), human and animal anatomy and mechanical engineering.
Da Vinci's scientific endeavours were so ahead of his time that he has anticipated many devices that we consider to be 'modern'.

Lack Of Structure Fuels Multi-Dimensional Knowledge

Da Vinci made many detailed drawings of both human and animal anatomy. His famous drawing of the Vitruvian Man is an example of his interest in the proportions of the human body. This drawingis a good example of how several of Da Vinci's scientific works could also be considered works of art. 
There is no doubt that Da Vinci's in depth knowledge of the human anatomy beneath the skin enabled him to create such dynamic and realistic portraits of human beings in his paintings.

Da Vinci's Studies in Anatomy

Da Vinci traced his interest in geology back to a powerful childhood memory that he had of entering a cave near where he was living and seeing, by torchlight, bands of different fossils in the rock. This suggested to him that at one time the cave - which was high up in the Apennine Mountains - was once below sea level. 
Leonardo studied the way in which sedimentary rock was formed and this led him to dismiss the notion that it was Noah's Great Flood that caused the sea shells to be thrown up into the mountains.

Da Vinci's Relationship with Geology

As a young man, Da Vinci used to construct numerous different objects thanks to an uncle who taught him how. Da Vinci thus made a very good self taught civil engineer. He constructed several inventions that were deemed to be very useful by the state of the time, including bridges and several catapults. One significant aspect of his studies in civil engineering involved hydrodynamics.
Da Vinci created several machines that were designed to control the flow of water, including a corkscrew-shaped contraption that was able to move water in a vertically upward direction.

Hydrodynamic Studies

From his perpetual motion machine to his theories about the relationship between light and opaque bodies, Da Vinci's scientific discoveries are all totally fascinating. 
He used his geometrical investigations to understand more about perspective (and subsequently applied this knowledge in his works of art), for instance, whilst his love of flowers and plants led him to study and sketch the makeup of trees and flowers with as much skill and dedication as he devoted to the inner workings of the human body.

Da Vinci's Other Scientific Discoveries

<ul>
<li>Da Vinci's plethora of sketchbooks and journals is a window onto his scientific mind. </li>
<li>Usually, Da Vinci wrote in his journals and annotated his scientific diagrams with mirror writing (i.e. writing that could be read by placing a mirror up against the page).</li>
<li>He also published one scientific work. This was a mathematical treatise on the proportion which was published in 1509.</li>
</ul>

The Sketchbooks Of Da Vinci

Read about Leonardo da Vinci's contribution to science. This website features all major works from the Italian Renaissance master.

Stashed ideas

Leonardo da Vinci: The Scientist

The reality is no less exciting. He was trained in Florence in the 1470s. During that time, workshops of the major artists included art in every kind of medium and tasks we would now consider engineering. These artist-engineers were employed to produce a wide range of practical machines such as Leonardo's ingenious designs for the sluices of lock gates.

Leonardo the inventor is subject to legends

Leading engineers of that time were more focused on visionary designs. The "visual boasting" was aimed to make an impression on prospective or actual employers. Many of Leonardo's most famous designs fall into this category, such as the "tank", designed to shoot across the battlefield. Other famous designs have been misread. The "helicopter" or airscrew is a device of technological entertainment. The same applies to the spring-driven "car".

Visionary designs

Leonardo's genius as an engineer rests on three foundations.<ol><li>He saw how the design of machines must rest on mathematical laws of physics, and not rely on practice. For instance, he realised that the power of an unwinding spring diminished according to a mathematical ratio.</li><li>He was the first to design separate components that could be used in several devices such as gears for barrel springs and ring bearings for axles.</li><li>He drew machines with more attention to reality. His efforts to devise various kinds of flying machines were directed by applying the principles of a bird in flight.</li></ol>

Locating genius

He may not have invented the helicopter, but the real man is more than worthy of the myth.

Leonardo da Vinci the inventor

Leonardo da Vinci was a genius in how he combined science and art to create his works. His work includes iconic paintings of the Mona Lisa and The last supper, designs for flying machines and ground-breaking studies on optics and perspective.

Leonardo da Vinci was interested in everything

The Mona Lisa smile has managed to bewitch us for 500 years. It is the culmination of a lifetime spent studying art, science and optics. Leonardo's notebook shows his dissecting the human face to understand how every muscle and nerve touched the lips. He dissected the human eye on cadavers to understand that the retina's centre sees detail, but the edges see shadows and shape better. If you look directly at the Mona Lisa's smile, the corners of the lips turn downward slightly, but shadows and light make it seem like it's turning upwards.

Where the “Mona Lisa” fit into Leonardo’s life and work

The Duke of Milan asked Leonardo to paint The Last Supper on the wall of a dining hall of a monastery. Leonardo doesn’t just capture a moment but captures a dramatic narrative. At first, you see Christ's hand, then, as you move up, you stare at his face as he is saying, “One of you shall betray me.” Then as your eyes move across the picture, you see the questions rippling outward as each of the apostles reacts with, "Is it me, Lord?"

The Last Supper is the most spell-binding narrative painting in history

Leonardo considered himself an engineer and architect, which he did with great passion. But his first job was as a theatrical producer. Here, he learned how to do tricks with perspective. The stage in a theatre recedes faster and looks deeper than it is. Even a table onstage would be tilted slightly so you can see it. This is what we see in "The Last supper." Likewise. we can see the gestures of the characters exaggerated. His theatrical production led him to mechanical props, like flying machines and a <a href="http://www.da-vinci-inventions.com/aerial-screw.aspx">h</a>elicopter screw, designed to lower angels in some performances.

Leonardo wasn't known as a painter

Leonardo was self-taught. He didn’t go to school because he was born out of wedlock.
<ul>
<li>He loved the flow of the streams that went into the Arno River. So he studied them and continued until his deathbed to draw the spiral forms to figure out the math behind them.</li>
<li>He noticed how air currents formed little flurries as they went over curved wings of birds to keep them in the air, similar to aeroplanes.</li>
</ul>
That translates both into science and his art.

Natural elements that most fascinated Leonardo

To be creative, you must be interested in many fields rather than be a specialist. Leonardo da Vinci was interested in everything in the universe, including how we fit into it. He tried to answer questions such as, Why do people yawn? Why is the sky blue?

The defining trait of Leonardo’s genius

Hint: The great Italian artist was interested in everything.

What Made Leonardo da Vinci a Genius?

There is a warning about being a generalist. “Jack of all trades, master of none.” “Equipped with knives all over, yet none is sharp,” “Nine trades, the tenth one — hunger.” Yet, many of the most impactful people have been generalists. Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Richard Feynman, Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison, Leonardo Da Vinci, to name a few. The founders of the five largest companies in the world are polymaths. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett, Larry Page, and Jeff Bezos

The most impactful people are generalists

A modern polymath can be defined as someone who becomes competent in at least three diverse domains and integrates them to create breakthrough ideas in new fields and industries. For example, Elon Musk has combined an understanding of physics, engineering, programming, design, manufacturing and business to create several multibillion-dollar companies in different fields. Specialists, by contrast, only focus on knowledge from their own field.

The era of the modern polymath

Several significant changes trending in our knowledge economy are disrupting conventional wisdom on the value of specialisation. In today's world, being a polymath is an advantage. People who love learning across fields can become more financially successful and impactful in their careers.

Being a modern polymath is the new normal

Creating an atypical combination of two or more skills that you’re merely competent in can lead to a world-class skill set. Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, combined his humour, mediocre illustration skills and interest in business culture to create one of the most popular comic strips of all time. He states if you want to become extraordinary in life, <ol><li>Become the best at one specific thing. Unfortunately, few people can manage that.</li><li>Become very good (top 25%) at two or more things. The combination will make what you do rare.</li></ol>

Combine two skills

Most creative breakthroughs come from making atypical combinations of skills. Researcher Brian Uzzi, a professor at the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, found that the most impactful scientific papers often have teams with atypical combinations of backgrounds. In another comprehensive study, Uzzi compared the results of academic papers by the number of citations they received and other papers they cited. The top-performing studies cited atypical combinations of other studies.

Making creative breakthroughs

It's never been easier to learn a new, valuable skill.<ul><li>The quality of knowledge in every domain is continually improving.</li><li>There is an abundance of free or affordable content from the world's top experts in every medium imaginable.</li></ul>

It's easy and fast to become competent in a new skill

<ul><li>One of the main ways that new skill sets, industries, and fields emerge is by combining them with old ones.</li><li>The number of new academic fields and business industries is increasing exponentially.</li><li>As the number of new skills increases, the number of possible combinations increases exponentially.</li></ul>

It's easier than ever to pioneer a new field, industry, or skill set

Fifteen years ago, none of the following professions existed:<ol><li>App developer</li><li>Social media manager</li><li>Driverless car engineer</li><li>Cloud computing specialist</li><li>Big data scientist</li><li>YouTube content creator</li></ol> Imagine if you could go back in time and master these skills before they became big? Image what skills are going to be valuable in the next 20 years? In an environment of accelerated change, we're going to have to become polymaths to survive. We'll have a dozen new careers, each requiring new skills.

Being a polymath future-proofs your career

Many of the biggest problems that face society and individuals can benefit from integrated disciplines. For example, obesity is complex. Many different fields are needed to solve the problem, such as exercise physiology, genetics, behavioural psychology, sociology, economics, marketing, general psychology, education, and nutrition.

Being a polymath sets you up to solve more complex problems

You can have a very valuable skill set globally, but if everyone also has that skill set, you're a commodity. However, becoming a polymath can help develop a unique skill set that few others have, making it possible to differentiate yourself. Peter Thiel ask of candidates he might hire, "What's the one thing you believe is true that no one else agrees with you on?" It tells you if you have rare and valuable ideas.

Being a polymath helps you stand out

Being a polymath will be the new normal. Polymaths who combine diverse skills to create innovations and solve complex problems will have an impact while generalists who fail to synthesise their knowledge will have no real impact. Specialists risk getting trapped as they focus on a narrow skill set and reputation. Their careers are fragile. If their professions disappear, it can become impossible to switch without starting over. Polymaths are anti-fragile. They adapt to changes in the environment. They can quickly combine their existing skill sets in multiple ways.

Make yourself anti-fragile

Use mental models to become a modern polymath. Mental models transcend disciplines. They are the links that connect disciplines together. For example, the 80/20 rule states that in many domains, 20 percent of your efforts will produce 80 percent of your results. You can use this mental model to improve efficiency in every area of your life and field of study. Identify the 20% of clients that create 80% of your business. Identify 20% of tasks that create 80% of your productivity, And so on.

How to become a modern polymath

The most comprehensive case that has ever been made for why nearly everyone should become a polymath in a modern knowledge economy. The warning against being a generalist has persisted for hundreds…

Leonardo da Vinci: The Scientist

Leonardo da Vinci the inventor

What Made Leonardo da Vinci a Genius?

People Who Have “Too Many Interests” Are More Likely To Be Successful According To Research

It's time to
Read like a Pro.

Explore the World’s
Best Ideas

200,000+ ideas on pretty much any topic. Created by the smartest people around & well-organized so you can explore at will.

An Idea for Everything

Powerful Saving & Organizational Tools

🥡

Think Outside the Box

🎓

Lifelong Learning 101

Take Your Ideas
Anywhere

Organize your ideas & listen on the go. And with Pro, there are no limits.

Listen on the go

Never worry about spotty connections

Get Organized with Stashes

💵

Self-Made Billionaires Secrets

🧠

Inside The Mind of Elon Musk

Leonardo da Vinci: The Scientist

Leonardo da Vinci the inventor

What Made Leonardo da Vinci a Genius?

People Who Have “Too Many Interests” Are More Likely To Be Successful According To Research

It's time to Read like a Pro.

Explore the World’sBest Ideas

200,000+ ideas on pretty much any topic. Created by the smartest people around & well-organized so you can explore at will.

An Idea for Everything

Powerful Saving & Organizational Tools

🥡

Think Outside the Box

🎓

Lifelong Learning 101

Take Your IdeasAnywhere

Organize your ideas & listen on the go. And with Pro, there are no limits.

Listen on the go

Never worry about spotty connections

Get Organized with Stashes

💵

Self-Made Billionaires Secrets

🧠

Inside The Mind of Elon Musk

It's time to
Read like a Pro.

Explore the World’s
Best Ideas

Take Your Ideas
Anywhere