Leonardo da Vinci was an unparalleled genius who revolutionized science in his own time and continued to inspire great minds to this day. He had a wide range of interests and talents that extended far beyond painting, sculpture, engineering, and anatomy. Da Vinci's pioneering nature drove his work in numerous fields like no other before him; he was a force to be reckoned with! His interdisciplinary approach, empirical observation, and artistic sensibilities fostered unprecedented breakthroughs in many disciplines. The admiration and respect for da Vinci is due largely to his abiding commitment to using his knowledge and skills for the betterment of humanity and society as a whole; his diverse interests made possible groundbreaking contributions …show more content…
He valued empirical evidence highly, setting him apart from many of his contemporaries who relied on outdated or speculative practices. His experiments spanned a wide range of topics in the physical sciences, such as optics, mechanics and fluid dynamics. To conduct his experiments, he employed imaginative techniques such as using mirrors to observe light and shadow effects and studying water flow using sand. In the centuries since his time, da Vinci's observations have become respected primary sources of knowledge in various research fields. He has been credited with driving the modernization of science through an interdisciplinary approach to learning and developing new theories. Leonardo da Vinci was "a true Renaissance man, with a wide set of talents and interests," according to Eugène Müntz, a biographer of the artist (Müntz, 1899, p. 23), which enabled him to change science in a variety of areas, including engineering, physics, geology, and anatomy. Due to his interdisciplinary approach, he was able to make connections and draw conclusions that other scientists of his era were unable to. He developed a profound understanding of human shape and function, for instance, Keele K. (1964) argued that Da Vinci's "anatomical studies represented a significant breakthrough in the field of Renaissance anatomy" (p. 72), as his detailed and accurate observations of the human …show more content…
Many of his works continue to be timeless classics in both fields. He studied perspective and visual structure in painting The Last Supper, which is a masterwork in terms of artistic composition. Similar works like the Vitruvian Man, where human proportions are realistically portrayed in lovely artwork, demonstrate this concern with the synthesis of nature and art. Even more than that, Da Vinci's innovative ideas about science also met their start due to his perfectionist approach to bettering the world through knowledge application. Many of his inventions and designs were motivated by a desire to solve practical problems and make life easier or more efficient. As an example, he created tools for measuring and mapping terrain as well as machines for lifting weights and transporting water. He also contributed to the development of military technology, creating fortifications and weaponry that would make battles less deadly and more