[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:15.58,0:00:17.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This image of the Vitruvian Man,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:17.07,0:00:18.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,taken from Leonardo's sketches,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:18.33,0:00:20.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,has become one of the most recognizable
Dialogue: 0,0:00:20.04,0:00:21.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,symbols of the Renaissance.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:21.65,0:00:22.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But why?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:22.74,0:00:24.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's a simple pen and ink drawing, right?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:24.68,0:00:26.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Wrong!
Dialogue: 0,0:00:26.00,0:00:27.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Let's start to answer this question
Dialogue: 0,0:00:27.40,0:00:28.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with a math problem.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.63,0:00:30.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I know how to calculate the area of a circle.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:30.72,0:00:32.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I take the value for pi
Dialogue: 0,0:00:32.10,0:00:34.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and multiply it by the radius squared.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:34.35,0:00:36.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I also know how to take the area of a square.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.56,0:00:39.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I multiply the base by itself.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:39.36,0:00:41.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But how can I take the area of a circle
Dialogue: 0,0:00:41.41,0:00:43.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and create a square with an equal area?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:43.80,0:00:45.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is a problem often called "squaring a circle"
Dialogue: 0,0:00:45.74,0:00:48.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that was first proposed in the ancient world.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:48.05,0:00:49.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And like many of ideas of the ancient world,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:49.66,0:00:51.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it was given new life during the Renaissance.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:51.89,0:00:53.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As it turns out,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:53.08,0:00:54.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,this problem is impossible to solve
Dialogue: 0,0:00:54.47,0:00:56.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because of the nature of pi,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:56.09,0:00:57.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but that's another story.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:57.91,0:00:58.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Leonardo's sketch,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:58.63,0:00:59.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is influenced by the writings
Dialogue: 0,0:00:59.88,0:01:01.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of the Roman architect, Vitruvius,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:01.90,0:01:03.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,places a man firmly at the center
Dialogue: 0,0:01:03.51,0:01:05.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of a circle and a square.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:05.51,0:01:06.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Vitruvius claimed the navel
Dialogue: 0,0:01:06.84,0:01:08.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is the center of the human body
Dialogue: 0,0:01:08.10,0:01:09.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and that if one takes a compass
Dialogue: 0,0:01:09.63,0:01:11.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and places the fixed point on the navel,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:11.38,0:01:14.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a circle can be drawn perfectly around the body.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.02,0:01:16.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Additionally, Vitruvius recognized
Dialogue: 0,0:01:16.00,0:01:17.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that arm span and height
Dialogue: 0,0:01:17.11,0:01:19.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,have a nearly perfect correspondence in the human body,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:19.69,0:01:22.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,thus placing the body perfectly inside a square as well.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:22.86,0:01:24.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Leonardo used the ideas of Vitruvius
Dialogue: 0,0:01:24.23,0:01:27.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to solve the problem of squaring a circle metaphorically
Dialogue: 0,0:01:27.03,0:01:29.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,using mankind as the area for both shapes.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:29.74,0:01:32.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Leonardo wasn't just thinking about Vitruvius, though.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:32.61,0:01:33.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There was an intellectual movement
Dialogue: 0,0:01:33.82,0:01:34.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in Italy at the time
Dialogue: 0,0:01:34.91,0:01:36.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,called Neoplatonism.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:36.32,0:01:37.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This movement took an old concept
Dialogue: 0,0:01:37.74,0:01:40.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from the 4th century developed by Plato and Aristotle,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:40.44,0:01:42.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,called "The Great Chain of Being".
Dialogue: 0,0:01:42.28,0:01:44.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This belief holds that the universe is a hierarchy
Dialogue: 0,0:01:44.45,0:01:45.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,resembling a chain,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:45.61,0:01:47.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and that chain starts at the top with God,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:47.78,0:01:49.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,then travels down through the angels,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:49.74,0:01:50.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,planets,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:50.31,0:01:50.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,stars,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:50.90,0:01:51.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and all lifeforms
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.98,0:01:54.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,before ending with demons and devils.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:54.07,0:01:55.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Early in this philosophic movement,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:55.81,0:01:58.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it was thought that mankind's place in this chain
Dialogue: 0,0:01:58.02,0:01:59.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was exactly in the center.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:59.53,0:02:01.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because humans have a mortal body
Dialogue: 0,0:02:01.23,0:02:03.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,accompanied by an immortal soul,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:03.16,0:02:05.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we divide the universe nicely in half.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:05.31,0:02:07.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Around the time Leonardo sketched
Dialogue: 0,0:02:07.07,0:02:08.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Vitruvian Man, however,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:08.69,0:02:10.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a Neoplatonist named Pico della Mirandola
Dialogue: 0,0:02:10.87,0:02:12.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,had a different idea.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:12.24,0:02:13.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He pried mankind off the chain
Dialogue: 0,0:02:13.81,0:02:15.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and claimed that humans have a unique ability
Dialogue: 0,0:02:15.78,0:02:17.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to take any position they want.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:17.64,0:02:19.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Pico claimed that God desired
Dialogue: 0,0:02:19.23,0:02:20.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a being capable of comprehending
Dialogue: 0,0:02:20.70,0:02:23.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the beautiful and complicated universe he had created.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:23.57,0:02:25.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This led to the creation of mankind,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:25.49,0:02:27.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which he placed at the center of the universe
Dialogue: 0,0:02:27.24,0:02:30.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with the ability to take whatever form he pleases.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:30.04,0:02:32.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Mankind, according to Pico,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:32.14,0:02:34.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,could crawl down the chain and behave like an animal
Dialogue: 0,0:02:34.70,0:02:36.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or crawl up the chain and behave like a god,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:36.92,0:02:38.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's our choice.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:38.23,0:02:39.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Looking back at the sketch,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:39.48,0:02:41.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we can see that by changing the position of the man,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:41.59,0:02:43.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,he can fill the irreconcilable areas
Dialogue: 0,0:02:43.15,0:02:45.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of a circle and a square.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:45.01,0:02:47.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If geometry is the language the universe is written in,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:47.31,0:02:48.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,then this sketch seems to say
Dialogue: 0,0:02:48.68,0:02:50.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we can exist within all its elements.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:50.52,0:02:52.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Mankind can fill whatever shape
Dialogue: 0,0:02:52.06,0:02:53.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,he pleases geometrically
Dialogue: 0,0:02:53.35,0:02:55.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and philosophically as well.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:55.27,0:02:56.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In this one sketch,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:56.35,0:02:57.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Leondardo was able to combine
Dialogue: 0,0:02:57.64,0:02:58.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the mathematics,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:58.45,0:02:59.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,religion,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:59.13,0:02:59.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,philosophy,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:59.94,0:03:00.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,architecture,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:00.80,0:03:02.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and artistic skill of his age.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:02.53,0:03:03.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,No wonder it has become such an icon
Dialogue: 0,0:03:03.73,0:03:05.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for the entire time period.