The impact of the written word on the brilliant mind of Leonardo da Vinci was the topic of a recent “MTSU On the Record” radio program.

Dr. Paula Findlen

Host Gina Logue’s interview with Dr. Paula Findlen, professor of early modern Europe and the history of science at Stanford University, first aired Oct. 29 on WMOT-FM Roots Radio 89.5 and www.wmot.org. You can hear it at the link above.

Findlen, MTSU’s fall 2019 Strickland Visiting Scholar lecturer, spoke at the university Oct. 22 on “Leonardo’s Library: How a Renaissance Artist Discovered the Meaning of Books.”

Johann Gutenberg invented moveable type shortly before Leonardo was born, so the brilliant painter and inventor’s life spanned the transitional era from handwritten manuscripts to printed books.

While Leonardo embraced the new technology of his age, however, he was not ready to abandon the more traditional methods of communication.

“Leonardo is moving forward, but he’s also rethinking the possibilities of this very traditional way of expressing yourself because he still thinks it can maybe do more, that printing hasn’t fully arrived,” Findlen said.

To hear previous “MTSU On the Record” programs, visit the searchable “Audio Clips” archives at www.mtsunews.com.

For more information about the radio program, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.