Centuries ago, Leonardo da Vinci brought science to gravity. While most accepted Aristotle’s view that an object’s motion depended solely on mass, Da Vinci theorized that velocity and other forces also mattered.
Da Vinci conducted innovative experiments on falling objects. One dropped grains from a moving pitcher, hypothesizing that matching speeds would form a right triangle. Replications proved his model imperfect but groundbreaking.
Da Vinci lived during a time when gravity was philosophy, not science. But his curiosity transformed speculation into empiricism. With simple tools and an open mind, he pioneered an approach to physics that endures.
Da Vinci helped revolutionize how we study the universe. His lesson is that understanding nature starts not with doctrines but questions. Observing and dreaming beyond conventional wisdom, Da Vinci unlocked gravity’s secrets through creativity and imagination.
While later work built upon his theories, Da Vinci’s genius was applying the scientific method to familiar phenomena. By conducting clever experiments, he showed gravity caused acceleration. Da Vinci exemplified the Renaissance spirit of discovery and transformed our relationship to the cosmos.
Though his results were eventually superseded, Da Vinci’s timeless contribution was using systematic experimentation and geometry to translate natural philosophy into modern physics. Gravity emerged as a field of empirical research, thanks to one brilliant, endlessly curious mind.
