Renaissance
Before venturing out on the Journey of a Lifetime, it might be important to know something about your destination. We've got you covered.
The Renaissance was considered a time of rapid innovation and "rebirth." And the many ways in which Leonardo da Vinci was set on inventing the future of... well.. everything!
A Medieval House Call
From the 14th through the 16th centuries, the bubonic plague ravaged Europe. With little knowledge about medicine and sanitation, plague doctors were the best chance for survival. How did plague doctors help those afflicted, and why did they wear those funny costumes?
Dance Dance Revolution - 15th Century Style
When ballroom dancing meant intricate moves with different partner, at court among kings and knights and ladies-can you imagine everyone's eyes on you if you didn't know the moves?
Da Vinci Under Lock-and-Key
A good story may raise ideas out of fiction to turn them into fact. Enter, science fiction!
Fashion-Forward in the Fifteenth
"What not to wear" once depended on your social status: duchess or milkmaid, prince or pope. If you broke rank, there could be a price to pay - a big one!
Virtual Reality: A Matter of Perception
Think VR and AR are new technologies? Low-tech versions have existed for centuries.
Slow Cooking and Fast Eating: Food Science and Healthy Eating
Have you ever wondered what's behind what we eat every day? Food scientists specialize in understanding, modifying foods, and teaching others what’s in their food. Learn about how food science affects your day-to-day living.
Da Vinci's Way: Fashion, Renaissance Style
Follow Instagram fashion trends today, and you'll see influencers showing the latest trends. But how would a fashionista in the fifteenth century know what not to wear?
Leonardo da Vinci's Lion Robot
Artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci is reputed to have created a mechanical lion made for a king. And there were those who say it moved on its own power. Making the first known workable robots over 500 years old.
Cracking the Code - da Vinci's trade secrets!
Inventors in most of the world have trademark laws and patents to protect their creations. But how did one of the most prolific inventors in history keep his secrets safe-with pirates and spies out to steal his secrets?
Filippo Brunelleschi: Anything But A One Hit Wonder
An incredibly successful architect most well known for designing the dome atop the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Brunelleschi is also credited for his exceptional innovation and inventiveness that resulted in the completion of several other notable structures throughout Italy.
Leonardo Takes a Deep Dive
What would humans do if they had the underwater breathing powers of fish? That’s a question Leonardo da Vinci set out to answer in designing the first known scuba suit.
MASTERY: Da Vinci's Secret to Inventing the Future
Could you “see” the possibility of air travel if birds and butterflies were the only objects flying in the skies? Imagine how Leonardo da Vinci might have thought that stuff up— hundreds of years ahead of his time.
Sculptor, Architect, Actor, Impresario: How Rome Was Reinvented in a Lifetime
Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Naples, 7 December 1598 - Rome, 28 November 1680) was an Italian artist who worked principally in Rome. He was the leading sculptor of his age and also a prominent architect. In addition he painted, wrote plays, and designed metalwork and stage sets.
Leonardo's Perpetual Motion Designs
Can an object set in motion, stay in motion? Sir Isaac Newton famously settled in the First Law of Motion. But da Vinci experimented with perpetual motion long before Newton proved the natural law.
Filippo Brunelleschi: Sculptor, Goldsmith, Duomo Maker
How losing the competition that would lead to the job-of-a-lifetime against a detested rival led to the rise of one of the world's most famous architects.
Wait, Was that a Selfie?
Think the selfie is a modern invention? Long before your cell phone, artists used the camera obscura to paint portraits of... themselves.