Event 2: Leonardo da Vinci on Visualizing the Forces of Nature: Gravity.

 I recently attended the discussion held about Leonardo Da Vinci and his visualization of gravity. The discussion was led by Claire Fargo and Matthew Landrus. Leonardo seemed to have discovered the idea of gravity without the use of higher-level math, instead using knowledge about statics and dynamics and manipulating these variables to better understand the forces of nature and better capture the forces of nature within this painting.

The illustration of the Law of the Lever by Da Vinci 

Leonardo was initially interested in exploring the nature of gravity and its influence on the environment so he could better depict the aspects of gravity and showcase them within his art. Using ancient medieval science like the law of the lever and balance alongside the manipulation of pulleys, he was able to gain more knowledge about the effect of gravity and how gravity is related to acceleration, as well as weight and how it may impact the degree of velocity of an object (Perkins). Through his pitcher experiment, he discovered that weight and movement seemed to have some relation to a gravitational constant, which we now know as gravitational pull. He combined both physical phenomena with thought experiments to better his understanding of balance as well as gravity.

Deluge, Windsor Royal Library, 12380

Using his own understanding of gravity, Leonardo created atypical composition techniques when arranging figures within his paintings, adjusting not only how the subjects in the paintings were carrying their own weight but also the weight of novel objects as well, bringing more attention to gravity and the forces that exert gravity on the environment. This also relates to other aspects of mathematics that Leonardo was able to carry over into his work, one of which is the golden rule. Using the golden rule to establish the perfect proportions between objects, Leonardo was able to further improve his artwork, which is in complete parallel to why he was so intrigued by the concept of gravity.

Citation 

Vesna, Victoria. “Mathematics Pt. 1 - Zero Perspective Golden Mean.” Bruin Learn, 9 Apr. 2012, https://youtu.be/mMmq5B1LKDg, Accessed 14 Apr. 2023.

Kemp, Martin. “Leonardo Da Vinci’s Laboratory: Studies in Flow.” Nature News, 16 July 2019, www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02144-z.

Perkins, Robert. “Leonardo Da Vinci’s Forgotten Experiments Explored Gravity as a Form of Acceleration.” California Institute of Technology, www.caltech.edu/about/news/leonardo-da-vincis-forgotten-experiments-explored-gravity-as-a-form-of-acceleration. Accessed 19 May 2023.