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In the demonstration room, visitors are guided through re-creations of some of the observations and experiments that Leonardo himself either described or illustrated in the Codex Leicester. Designed in collaboration with the Eli Whitney Museum (New Haven, Connecticut) these demonstrations reveal Leonardo as a keen observer who was strikingly ahead of his time.
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Visitors observe and explore some of the properties of water discussed in the Codex: the waves created by drops falling in a pool of water, the movement of water around obstacles, the behavior of converging streams.
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Leonardo described an experiment such as this to look at what happens when a flow of water is released from different heights.
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In the Codex, Leonardo discusses a variety of designs for pile drivers, an essential tool for construction. With this device, visitors can experience the power and the noise of a mechanical design for a pile driver.
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Here we have a column of water and under the table two air pumps that produce bubbles of different sizes. Like Leonardo, visitors can listen to the bubbles and explore the relationship between the size and the sound of the bubbles. What might account for the differences? What do you think Leonardo was trying to measure?
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Leonardo observed the thinning of water into a film, using a
child's toy, a reed with some soapy water. Here we use a plunger
device and some liquid detergent. With a little practice,
vistors can form both a hanging bubble and a sitting bubble.
What do you observe when you watch a bubble form?
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