Denver Museum of Nature & Science: Leonardo Da Vinci Exhibit

Yesterday Amy, Mel, and Alex treated us to the special exhibit of Leonardo Da Vinci at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Wow, was it spectacular. The emphasis was on the machines that Da Vinci envisioned in his journals, some of which were actually built in his time. Others were built for display from his notes.  Museum attendees could try out many of his machines.

Did you know Da Vinci typically wrote from right to left in reversed lettering -- we would be able to read it more easily with a mirror. They think the reason for this is two fold:

• Da Vinci was left handed so this writing method would reduce the ink smudges.
• His ideas couldn't be easily stolen because the journals were difficult to read by the casual observer.

Below are photos of a bicycle that appears in one of the journals. It's unclear whether Da Vinci actually invented the bicycle or one of his students. I was impressed by the leather chain and sprocket setup.