Is Leonardo da Vinci one of history's greatest geniuses?

[Julie4]

[RavVid]

To be honest I think he is over-rated technically. Take his tank. It wasn't that far off what was being done with siege weapons much earlier but lighter (practical) coverings of wet leather were used. It bristled with cannons and was too heavy to be moved by muscle power. Could not work.

Leonardo' helicopter is similar. The Archimedes screw as developed before Archimedes in Ancient Egypt so the concept of moving a fluid by a rotating screw was not new and again too heavy for muscle power.

Conceptual ideas are not that hard and I don't disparage the worth of concepts or the gradual technical development. Blu-ray disks and streaming video can technically be traced back to at least 17th century music boxes I argue.

To say invented is more than having a concept, it requires a working model to sustain that claim.

I am quite happy to accept his genius in all other areas of his endeavors.

[nightdrot]

This is an easy one. Not only is their his art. From what I have seen he actually had designs on paper for things like what became the helicopter. No joke.

Talk about ahead of his time!! To quote from @MrOracle below: "He was the Elon Musk of his day (or, perhaps, vice versa) - leading and advancing several different fields simultaneously."

Could not have said it better myself - which is why I quoted @MrOracle.

[MrOracle]

No question. He had exceptional skills in quite a number of different areas. Most people don't realize that he "made his living" by creating new and deadlier or more effective tools of war, though he really did that so that he had the money and status to pursue the other things he was interested in - from drawing, painting, sculpture, medicine, flying machines, and and other advanced inventions.

He was the Elon Musk of his day (or, perhaps, vice versa) - leading and advancing several different fields simultaneously.

[DJB72]

Of course.

He also displayed classic signs of ADHD - missed deadlines, "chaotic" work space nobody else understood, multiple projects in unfinished states in his death, able to focus intensely on some things and easily distracted by the slightest thing in others.

David Vinci was - like all great men - not understood in his lifetime. But revered as a visionary later

[b_lova]

Absolutely, but I think it's because he illustrated his ideas and the visual component has caused people to gravitate toward him. Don't get me wrong he was extremely knowledgeable about the tech.

[82lynx]

He was a hippie!

... according to a museum security guard when he appeared on Bewitched. 😆 Incidentally the only time Sam’s Mixmaster is seen running is when it snags his beard.

[AviatorTom]

He was not only a great painter, some of his inventions were years ahead of their time.

[Xia1994]

Yep I think he’s IQ is estimated to be 2000

[KostasKouvalis]

I visited a Da Vinci museum in Roma. I think so, yes. Definitely

[dustybiker2]

One who was more popular.

[loveslongnails]

I believe he was brilliant enough.

[Staximus]

He was pretty high up there.

[RyanEC]

As an aspiring renaissance man I think so.

[msc545]

He certainly is. A brilliant man.

[NYlatefun]

Absolutely! So ahead of his time!!

[laly520]

totally

[Mettbltt]

yess

[Squatting_Slav]

Yes,

[Anonymous]

dah...