Discovering: d̶a̶ ̶V̶i̶n̶c̶i̶ Derek

The Tower
Leonardo is dealing with the repercussions of sodomy charges. His father Piero defends him. The episode focuses on his sexuality and the ingenious way he arranges for his escape and to have the charges dropped.

- Directed by: Paul Wilmshurst
- Written by: Joe Aheame

The episode begins with dignitaries from Spain coming to Florence to attempt to arrange a deal with the Medici's.  As they are being shown around the home and seeing various artworks they come across a statue of "David" and find it immoral. They are "Patrons of the arts, particularly those based on the Holy Faith." and haven't quite embraced the "Humanism" of Florence. The statue used in the show is actually supposedly modeled after Leonardo when he was young. It gives us an idea of what Leonardo would have looked like, and also what went on in Verrocchio's workshop that has been alluded to in the series and by many historians.


On April 9, 1476 Sodomy Charges were filed a…

Leonardo da Vinci

A PSYCHOSEXUAL STUDY OF AN
INFANTILE REMINISCENCE

BY
PROFESSOR DR. SIGMUND FREUD, LL.D.
(UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA)

TRANSLATED BY
A. A. BRILL, PH.B., M.D.
Lecturer in Psychoanalysis and Abnormal
Psychology, New York University

NEW YORK
MOFFAT, YARD & COMPANY
1916

Copyright, 1916, by
MOFFAT, YARD & COMPANY

So I made friends with the hummingbirds in my backyard. They let me get within a foot of them to take pictures. The next day one flew up to me and hovered 3" from my face. There are three of them and all they do is fight over the feeders all day. One lands and drinks, another one zooms by and then chases it away - then the other one lands and this never ends.

This is an interesting page from Leonardo's Notebooks. It starts out as a letter to "the Devatdar of Sýria Lieutenant of the Sacred Sultan of Babylon" and then goes on to the chapter order for a book that was never written. It comes across as a brain storming session for both a letter to someone and an outline for a section in a book he intended to write. It's a cross between fiction and geography, or whatever it is he imagined while visiting Armenia. Did he really go there?

TO THE DEVATDAR OF SYRIA, LIEUTENANT OF THE SACRED SULTAN OF BABYLON [Cairo]:

The recent disaster in our northern parts which I am certain will terrify not you alone but the whole world, which shall be related to you in due order, showing first the effect and then the cause. [....]1 Finding myself in this part of Armenia to carry into effect with due love and care the task for which you sent me; and to make a beginning in a place which seemed to me to be most to our purpose, I entered into the c…

"Who would believe that so small a space could contain the image of all the universe? O mighty process! What talent can avail to penetrate a nature such as these? What tongue will it be that can unfold so great a wonder? Verily, none! This it is that guides the human discourse to the considering of divine things. Here the figures, here the colors, here all the images of every part of the universe are contracted to a point. O what a point is so marvelous!"

“While I thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die.” - Leonardo da Vinci

“While I thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die.”

This is one of the very rare instances that Leonardo was erroneous about something. A fetus's heart does beat and it's lungs do take in the liquid in the womb without drowning. It is also possible that a child could stay alive within the womb for a very brief time even if the mother were to die although depending on its gestation it would require life support. The idea that a "single soul" encompasses both is probably only true for a short time - up until the fetus has matured enough to live outside of the womb. The earliest surviving preemie is 22 weeks in the womb. There is some evidence that certain things that the mother/ child experiences while in the womb does affect the infant but it's unclear if this is because of what the child senses through the stomach or if the mother's senses are connected directly to fetus in such a way that they could share sensations. It would be interesting if there were really some type of "shared consciousness" be…

Title: da Vinci Globe Gores
Date: 1514
Author: Leonardo da Vinci
Source


"Description: In an 1864 article titled Leonardo, da Vinci, 1452-1519, Memoir on a mappemonde by Leonardo da Vinci, being the earliest map hitherto known containing the name of America: now in the royal collection at Windsor, Richard Henry Major analyzed this unusual set of eight globe gores found in the Royal Collections of Windsor Castle and attributed them to none other than Leonardo da Vinci, but with very little more reason for the assignment than the fact that they were found in a collection of papers in the handwriting of that famous artist. The gores are drawn as equilateral triangles, each representing one eighth of the earth’s surface, not as bi-angles, which is the usual form for early globe gores. Major described the map as the oldest known on which the name Americaappears, giving as the probable date of construction the year 1514, which date is thought by Henry Harrisse to be five or six years to…

"The Magician" centered around Lorenzo still trying to figure out who the spy from Rome is and having to deal with their threats to take over. Leaning on Leonardo's military engineering abilities seems to be in vain as he is unable to deliver enough cannons in time. The very last night before Lorenzo was going to have to surrender da Vinci surprises all by displaying an enormousness cross bow that would launch  "cluster bombards" - saving the day. His affair with Lorenzo's mistress continues, but again not all is what it seems as Leonardo is arrested for sodomy allegations at the end of the episode. He also begins to find clues that Lorenzo's grandfather Cosimo "the Magician" is some how part of the secret society and also see's clues to find the "book of leaves." 
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The episode starts out with a story about Leonardo from when he was 14 by Andrea del Verrocchio. He tells of how Leonardo's father secretly commissioning his so…

This was one of the first books I ever read about Leonardo da Vinci and helped to start me out on a path to writing my own book about him. The best part about it isn't really the mind of Leonardo but about the mind of a Genius and how you can learn to think in the same way. Great book!
How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day
By Michael J. Gelb "Genius is made, not born. And human beings are gifted with an almost unlimited potential for learning and creativity. Now you can uncover your own hidden abilities, sharpen your senses, and liberate your unique intelligence—by following the example of the greatest genius of all time, Leonardo da Vinci.
Acclaimed author Michael J. Gelb, who has helped thousands of people expand their minds to accomplish more than they ever thought possible, shows you how. Drawing on Da Vinci's notebooks, inventions, and legendary works of art, Gelb introduces Seven Da Vincian Principles—the essential elements of genius—fro…

I read this book quite a while ago and always imagined it would make for a great movie. The problem was that most of it took place in space and especially in Zero G - something that is very difficult to film without really advanced Cgi. Looks like the technology has finally caught up. I did read that they changed the twist ending. Interested to see how it all pans out. Re-reading the book again now!



It's basically about training little genius kids in a "battle school" in space so they can be the next great leaders against an attacking "bugger" alien invasion. Although nothing is as it seems and they are being manipulated behind the scenes. It's a good read.




Read it first:

Archaeologists used a robot with 3d scanning technology to explore purposely blocked tombs under the "Temple of the Feathered Serpent." It took years to plan the excavation and exploration but they were unprepared for what they found:   Hundreds of spherical orbs that would have appeared golden back in their day. What purpose could they have served? Why were they not only left hidden, but the entrance to them stuffed up?    The orbs themselves have organic matter at their center and then were covered by minerals that would make them look metallic. Are the fillings there to act as a base to save space for the minerals that cover them? Or is there some kind of significance to the center material? Are they containers?

There has to be some kind of meaning and or purpose to them. I would think they either contain something important like urns, or their varying sizes and actual locations within the rooms are astronomical. They haven't even explored all the rooms yet so it wil…

"I've dealt with my ghosts And I've Faced all my demons Finally content with a past I regret I've found you find strength in your Moments of weakness For once I'm at peace with myself I've been burdened with blame Trapped in the past for too long
I'm movin' on
I've lived in this place And I know all the faces Each one is different But they're always the same They mean me no harm but it's time that I face it They'll never allow me to change But I never dreamed home would end up Where I don't belong I'm movin' on I'm movin' on At last I can see
Life has been patiently waiting for me And I know there's no guarantees But, I'm not alone There comes a time in everyone's life When all you can see are the years passing by (are the years passing by)

And I have made up my mind that those days are gone
I sold what I could And packed what I couldn't Stopped to fill up on my way out of town
I've loved like I …