Scribbles in Leonardo da Vinci’s journal from 1493, thought to be meaningless by art historians, instead reflect his earliest musings on the laws of friction, according to an article from UPI. French scientist Guillaume Amontons had reportedly been credited with first detailing the laws of friction – some 200 years after da Vinci apparently doodled about the subject.
According to the article, da Vinci is widely considered the founder of tribology, a branch of mechanical engineering and materials science that deals with the principles of friction. A University of Cambridge professor reportedly discovered the significance of the sketches and text. The notebook featuring da Vinci’s early ideas on friction is currently on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, according to the article.
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