To a handful of medical historians and doctors, the name Ibn al-Nafis gently tugs at the heartstrings, but for most, it is undoubtedly unfamiliar. Ibn al-Nafis did what so many medical thinkers and doctors could not: He correctly explained how the heart pumps blood, and he did so centuries before the advent of modern medicine. Although the discovery of the hearts true anatomy is commonly credited to the English physician William Harvey, it was al-Nafis who first mounted the challenge to the received wisdom of ancient Greece. So, who was he? And why does he hold a special place in some doctors hearts?

Before we get to know him better, we need to take a side-trip back to 1628, when a 50-year old Harvey published a short but revolutionary treatise. In 80 succinct pages, Harvey succeeded in correcting the reigning and almost sacrosanct theory of blood circulation in his time, put forward by the 2nd century CE Greek doctor Galen, who commanded utmost authority in medicine. Galens unparalleled success as a doctor to the gladiators of Pergamonand his appointment as physician to the emperor Marcus Aureliusgave him a prestige that no other doctor achieved in the ancient world. His excellent service to the throne led Aurelius to celebrate him as first among doctors. The rank and honor stuck as dogma for a millennium.

In Galens system, there was a middle membrane called the septum between the hearts two ventricles. Galen believed that the septum had invisible pores that permitted the movement of blood from the right ventricle to the left. This perforated passage was an essential feature in Galenic anatomy, which held that blood movement was centrifugal and not circulatory. Blood rushed through the vessels in a one-way trip away from their central origins. Blood transported to the kneecaps, for example, was absorbed by the tissues around the patella, never to be seen again. If blood was constantly consumed, then it was also necessary that the body produce it perpetually. Galen assigned one organ to do just that: the liver.

In her biography of Galen, The Prince of Medicine, the historian Susan Mattern explains that for Galen, [t]he liver was the central organ of nutrition. The liver processed and converted food sent from the stomach into nutritious dark blood. Once this type of blood was produced, it was immediately distributed to the body through channels called veins. As Mattern explains it: In Galens system, the liver was the source of the veins. In other words, veins branched out from the liver, which delivers blood. The pumping effect of the heart was therefore unnecessary, as the blood exiting the liver travelled independently by ebbs and flows through the veins.

In Galens anatomical design, the hearts right ventricle receives a steady supply of blood via a venous channel from the liver. Part of the blood goes into the lungs where it is cleaned, and unclean substances are then exhaled. The rest of the blood passes through the supposed pores into the left ventricle, where it awaits further instruction. Recently purified blood then gets sent out from the lungs into the left ventricle, mixing with the blood that moved over earlier. Now blended, they are then pushed out via the arteries.

For Harvey to dispel Galens system, he first needed to disprove the existence of a porous septum, as this was the mechanism that allowed Galen to bypass the need for circular blood movement. Luckily for Harvey, someone else had already started the process of critiquing Galens system.

A sixteenth century expos by the Flemish anatomist Andreas Vesaliusrevealed that Galen based many of his anatomical findings on animal dissections. In Galens time, opportunities to study human cadavers were hampered by local beliefs and taboos, so animal analogues were the next best thing. Physicians found this problematic, since the primary subjects of medicine were and are humans. This set the stage for a later series of reviews and criticisms of the Galenic corpus. In his defense, as the classicist and historian of medicine Vivian Nutton notes in Ancient Medicine: Galen was conscious of the problem of extrapolating from animals to human beings, often warning his audience about drawing rash conclusions solely from animal dissections.

Correcting Galens mistakes required lots of human dissections. Vesalius tore open curtains of skin and welcomed the world to the intramural spectacle of the human body in what is now considered a medical classic, De humani corporis fabrica libri septem (On the Fabric of the Human Body in Seven Books). Published in 1543, this tome empirically presented and detailed the many anatomical errors in Galens system. One specific target was Galens porous middle: I do not see how even the smallest amount of blood could pass from the right ventricle to the left through the septum.

Harveys dissection of Galens anatomy was two-pronged: observational and experimental. As physician to King James I, and a reputed doctor in the academy, Harvey had access to many animal samples and human cadavers. With the proper intellectual approach, a more liberal view of dissections, and material and financial support, Harvey thoroughly compiled his arguments, producing his 1628 text, Exercitatio anatomica de motu cordis et sanguinis in animalibus (Anatomical Studies on the Motion of the Heart and Blood).

Harveys tone is strong and stern. He doesnt hide his frustrations with Galen. Regarding the supposed permeable septum, Harvey echoes Vesalius in a more forceful voice. After many fruitless searches, he declares: But, damn it, no such pores exist, nor can they be demonstrated!

Not only was the physical existence of the septum problematic to Harvey, he was also vexed by its physiological implications:

Even so, supposing the pores are there, how could the left ventricle draw blood from the right when both ventricles contract and dilate at the same time? Why require invisible pores and obscure uncertain channels to get the blood to the left ventricle when there is such a wide open passage through the pulmonary vein? It is certainly remarkable that a way had to be made, or rather invented, through the dense, tough, and compact septum of the heart, instead of through the open pulmonary vein, and the soft spongy mass of the lungs.

Having closed the imaginary septum and its pores, Harvey proposes a circular route from the right ventricle to the left. This he first surmised after deliberating the blood production role Galen gave to the liver:

For a long time I turned over in my mind such questions as, how much blood is transmitted, and how short a time does its passage take. Not deeming it possible for the digested food mass to furnish such an abundance of blood, without totally draining the veins or rupturing the arteries, unless it somehow got back to the veins from the arteries and returned to the right ventricle of the heart, I began to think there was a sort of motion as in a circle.

To support his supposition, Harvey conducted a series of experiments that involved dissecting various animals, ligating their arteries and veins, exerting pressure on their hearts, and quantitatively measuring the amount of blood channelled to and fro. After having gone through the motions and reviewing his data, Harvey came to a conclusion that debunked both Galens passable septum and his blood-producing liver:

It has been shown by reason and experiment that blood by the beat of the ventricles flows through the lungs and heart and is pumped to the whole body This occurs in such an amount with such an outflow through the arteries, and such a reflux through the veins, that it cannot be supplied by the food consumed. It is also much more than is needed for nutrition. It must therefore be concluded that the blood in the animal body moves around in a circle continuously, and that the action or function of the heart is to accomplish this by pumping.

Harveys workwas highly revolutionary. Despite being hounded by his contemporaries for contradicting Galen, Harvey helped advance medicin
e by promoting experimental and empirical methods, free from established dogma. His work also had the effect of introducing mathematics into medical and anatomical research.

But pop history has elevated Harveys stature to the level of myth, a hero that was first in many things, especially in raising the voice of reason against Galen. The claim can be easily disputed by mentioning Vesalius earlier work. But Vesalius corrective was more general, and in the realm of the heart and blood, it was neither Harvey nor Vesalius who first contested Galen: The first rebellious voice to settle the heart of the matter was Ibn al-Nafis.

Born Ala al-Din Abu al-Hassan Ali Ibn Abi-Hazm al-Qarshi al-Dimashqi in 1213, al-Nafis was a man of many minds. He wrote about astronomy, legal theory, philosophy, sociology, and medicine, a subject on which he wrote commentaries and criticisms prodigiously.

Published in 1242, when al-Nafis was only 29 years old, his Commentary on Anatomy in Avicennas Canon contains his contentions. In this text, al-Nafis did not just predate later anatomists in resisting Galenic influence, he also made independent discoveries. He was the first to describe pulmonary circulation in print, explaining how blood from the right ventricle enters and exits the lungs. He also discovered the coronary arteries and, in doing so, the mechanisms of coronary circulation, the process by which the heart pumps blood onto itself via coronary arteries that wrap around it.

He first set out to argue, like Harvey, that a porous middle membrane didnt exist. From his dissections of animals, al-Nafis found that the inner linings of what Galen thought of as the septum were too thick to permit gas exchange (JSTOR). Al-Nafis writes:

there is no passage as that part of the heart is closed and has no apparent openings as some believed and no non-apparent opening fit for the passage of this blood as Galen believed.

He adds, almost as a flourish, a strong conviction against those who shared Galens idea of the septum:

The contention of some persons to say that this place is porous, is erroneous; it is based on the preconceived idea that the blood from the right ventricle had to pass through this porosityand they are wrong!

Despite his strong contentions against Galen, al-Nafis work fell silently into historical obscurity, and his name was shrouded in anonymity for centuries. We can only speculate as to why. But his voice was heard once again, not in a hospital, university, or in a surgery room. In 1924, the young Egyptian physician Muhyo Al-deen el Tatawi was scouring the shelves of what is now the Berlin State Library for his doctoral dissertation. Among the books that he chanced upon was Ibn al-Nafis Commentary. This fortunate find restored Ibn al-Nafis to his rightful place in the history of medicine.

Since pop history prefers to embellish its tales with the dramatic, who was first is often a juicy angle in its chronicles. But while Ibn al-Nafis rightly deserves the distinction for being the first to discover the workings of the heart, falling into the trap of pitting him against Harvey is unnecessary. Both deserve recognition for their works. But there is a unique lesson latent in Ibn al-Nafis eventual rediscovery, and we should (if youll excuse the pun) take it to heart: There are things we think only we know that actually were already known for a long time.

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Who Really Discovered How the Heart Works? - JSTOR Daily

Sailor Moon and her fellow Sailor Scouts are timeless anime icons and know how to put up a good fight when facing against their enemies. Their cool powers also define them as Sailor Scouts and differentiate themselves from their civilian forms. Created and drawn by the legendary Naoko Takeuchi, Sailor Moon will always be an iconic pop culture figure that anyone can recognize, even if they do not watch the anime or read the manga.

For this list, we will talk about how interesting the anatomy for two Sailor Moon characters are: Usagi Tsukino herself and fellow Sailor Scout Jupiter, also known as Makoto Kino. Here are ten facts about SailorJupiter's anatomy and other for Sailor Moon's.

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Sometimes you can't help but brag for having decent genes. Out of the inner Sailor Scouts, Makoto definitely has the biggest assets, as she states it in the anime.She claims that because of her "talent" she would be the perfect role for her school's play of Snow White.

Even though as Princess Serenity she lost her life fighting Queen Beryl's army, Queen Serenity gave her the chance to be reborn as a human on Earth. Once Usagi discovered her past self and then her future self, it can be argued that Usagi is essentially immortal as she will live on for seemingly all eternity.

Sailor Jupiter can look intimidating even in her civilian form, but she is the perfect definition of appearances being deceiving. Since she is tall for her age and physically strong, it can scare people off, but eventually, Usagi and the others would form an amazing friendship.

Usagi might seem like a scrawny and big crybaby, but as Sailor Moon, she has respectable power that can take care of the villains that would threaten her and those around her. After all, being the reincarnation of the moon princess just adds to her strength.

Originally, Makoto was to be perceived as a gang member, being externally tough and even engaged in discouraging recreational activities. Similar to the previous entry about her, Makoto has shown that she is more of a gentle giant than an intimidating person. We can't help but feel bad for her when people are afraid of her.

It's pretty weird how Usagi and Mamoru end up having their daughter ChibiUsa, yet not have the same hair or eye color. In Naoko Takeuchi's defense, Usagi was originally designed with having pink hair instead of blonde hair. While it is not really accurate for genetics, it at least answers why ChibiUsa has pink hair instead.

To our surprise, Makoto's hair is naturally wavy! It does help make her stand out to the other Sailor Scouts while making her beautiful as well. However, it can be frustrating to have to deal with that kind of bed hair whenever she has to get ready for the day.

Whenever Usagi transforms into Sailor Moon, she keeps her physical form while also gaining her powers as a Sailor Scout. Once she turns into Princess Serenity, her hair would transform into a platinum blonde. When she would eventually become Neo Queen Serenity, her hair will eventually be platinum blonde again.

If there is one thing to appreciate Makoto for, it is her inner strength. As Sailor Jupiter, she remains who she is and fights for those she cares for. Even if she gets her heart broken from rejection, she never gives up on being who she is and remains mentally strong.

Usagi might look like an average Japanese schoolgirl, minus the blonde hair and blue eyes, her frame is rather inaccurate. While anime is made to distance reality, Usagi seems a bit too tall for her being at 4'11.This is mostly due to transitioning from manga to anime, so it's tough to be completely accurate.

Due to losing her parents to a plane crash, Makoto has been deeply affected by the tragic event. While we do not see her struggles, it is definitely implied that she carried through and pulled herself together. It is hard to lose them at a young age, but we admire Makoto for being strong through it all.

As Usagi is the reincarnation of Princess Serenity, this makes a claim that she is technically not human. In her past self, she has a humanoid appearance that are not at all differentcompared to humans from Earth. That means she technically can qualify as an alien, though it's up in the air for debate.

As soon as her parents passed, Makoto became an orphan. That doesn't stop her from getting on her feet and fending for herself. She is financially comfortable, can cook, and look after herself. Even if she lives by herself, she definitely appreciates the friends she has and does not let her physical and mental health down.

In the old DiC dub, Mamoru loves to poke fun at Usagi's hair buns. The design of her hair is actually intentional as when she transforms into Sailor Moon, her hair buns actually are there for her Supersonic waves. That attack would help her out in defeating the Youma Morga before using her tiara to finish her off.

Makoto definitely has the look and strength of a warrior, and it is probably best not to mess with her regardless of which form she takes on. In civilian form, she has the build to take care of herself in fights, while she can be of great aid as Sailor Jupiter.

If there is one thing you can define Usagi for, it's her love for food. Who doesn't love eating junk food and not worry about the consequences? As seen throughout the series, Usagi seems to never have a full stomach and for her, that's probably a good thing. She's got to get some energy somehow for school or fighting bad guys.

At 5'6, Makoto is very tall for a young woman in Japan. Compared to Usagi who is barely five feet tall, that really makes Makoto seem unapproachable. Since Makoto is a sweetheart who is mostly independent, sometimes it can be seen as a blessing to show that she is not to be messed with.

Usagi usually worries about ruining her figure as she really loves to eat. As a teenager, it is pressuring to deal with issues like that. Funnily enough, she does not really suffer from that. It's anime logic for a character to eat a lot but not gain weight, so Usagi is rather lucky.

What is really cool about Makoto is that even in civilian form, she has immense super strength. It adds to her independence and makes her a capable person in any given situation. Whether for mundane activities or to help someone, her unmatched strength is definitely a gift.

While Sailor Jupiter is capable of having such strength, Sailor Moon has the best endurance when facing against their enemies. She usually is the last to stand in the case of Queen Beryl and Sailor Galaxia/Chaos. And also because of her wielding the Imperial Silver Crystal, this gives Sailor Moon an advantage in fights.

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10 Facts About Sailor Jupiter's Anatomy (And 10 About Sailor Moon's) - TheThings

Scientists have long used satellite cameras, such as the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM), to count lightning flashes and monitor storms. Now Michael Peterson, of Los Alamos National Laboratory, is using the pulses of illumination to produce fulminograms showing clouds from inside.

The output resembles an x-ray image of the storm, Peterson says. When light must penetrate thick convective cells, they stand out as dark spots in the image, while the brightest spots show us where lots of light can leak out of the cloud.

Petersons work is described in a paper in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. The x-ray effect produces a map of the cloud density, giving an idea of the anatomy of the storm beneath its dark exterior. Lightning measurements allow us to look through the anvil shield of intense thunderstorms to sense the dynamics at the heart of convection, he says.

As well as giving close-up detail, the wide view from the GLM satellite means it should be possible to follow the progress of many storms simultaneously and provide weather warnings across a wide area. Were essentially trying to use lightning to create something akin to a simple weather radar for all thunderstorms across the Americas for now, and later across the globe, Peterson says.

This article was amended on 30 October 2019 to correct the spelling of Michael Peterson. A previous version referred to him as Michael Petersen.

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Weatherwatch: cloud 'x-rays' seek to reveal anatomy of a storm - The Guardian

SALT LAKE CITY I am often asked: What can I do to make my relationship better? In this article, I want to share some of the basic tendencies of human behavior, which will help you understand the dynamics involved in your relationships and how to improve them.

In other articles, I have written about the two core fears and the four basic value systems, that drive human behavior, and I use them with my clients. The two core fears are fear of failure (I am not good enough) and fear of loss (I am not safe). We all experience both of them every day, to some degree, but each of us has one fear that is more dominant than the other. Thus, we are fear of failure dominant or fear of loss dominant.

It will be a game-changer in your relationships if you understand your own dominant fear as well as the other persons. When you know their core fear, you will understand their most sensitive trigger the one that brings out their worst behavior and what they need to feel safe with you.

Safety is the most important factor in the success of a relationship. If you dont feel safe with the other person, you cannot show up authentically and you cannot fully love them or yourself. If you dont feel safe, the other person will always feel like an enemy, at some level, and you will often be at odds. When someone feels safe, they need nothing and have more to give.

Here are the two core fears, and how to make a person who is dominant in each fear feel safe:

Fear of failure dominant

If a person is fear of failure dominant, their worst behavior is triggered when they feel criticized, judged, insulted, unwanted or abandoned. These experiences make them feel they arent good enough and put them out of balance.

When you have some feedback for these people, you should deliver it gently. You should also make sure they feel secure about how you see them. To make them feel safe with you, you must give them lots of validation and reassurance. If you can do this and they see you as a cure to their fear, not a cause of their fear they will thrive in the relationship.

Fear of loss dominant

If a person is fear of loss dominant, their worst behavior is triggered when they feel taken from, mistreated, disregarded, or that people arent showing up for them the way they should be. These people need a certain amount of control over their environment to feel safe.

You must make sure they feel heard, respected and appreciated, and let them be in charge as much as you can. To make them feel safe with you, you should let them be the boss as much as possible, reassure them things will be OK, and take their advice without feeling criticized by it. Understand when they give suggestions or advice, they are only trying to help.

Understanding the other persons core fear is only half the equation, though, so let me explain the four value systems and what people from each group value most.

Values people and connection: These people fill up by socializing with others, and they get most of their self-esteem and safety in the world from connection and relationships. If you are in a relationship with someone like this, you must understand their great need to communicate and spend time with you. They need more of your time and affection than you would, and they need you to listen to them, be affectionate and let them have lots of socializing with other humans to keep their bucket full. If they get these things they will feel good and have more to give you.

Values tasks: These people fill up and get self-esteem from getting things done. They need to accomplish and finish tasks, and have good performance in those tasks, to feel safe in the world. If you are in a relationship with someone like this, you must understand their great need to work and get projects finished. They treasure time alone to get their work done, and they need you to notice and validate what amazing workers they are. If they get tasks done and feel accomplished they will feel better and have more to give you.

Values things: These people get their sense of self-esteem from what they create, build or own. They are artists, inventors, business builders and beauties, and they highly value appearance and how things look. If you are in a relationship with someone like this, you must understand their need to look good or create amazing things. This may require time away from you, but if they get the time to create things or make themselves look amazing they will have more to give you.

Values ideas: These people get their sense of self-esteem from knowledge, principles, morals, doing things right and knowing answers to problems. If you are in a relationship with someone like this, you need to validate their knowledge and expertise in the subjects they are passionate about. This will mean listening to them a lot (even if you arent interested in that topic) and giving them the control to make sure things are right. If they have the chance to share, teach or learn more about what they care about, they will be happy and they will have more to give you.

The magic happens when you put these ideas together and figure out your partners core fear and value system.

For example: If they are fear of failure dominant and value tasks most, they are someone who needs validation about the work they do. Dont compliment this person on their appearance; tell them how productive, brilliant and hard-working they are. Allow them to be task-focused, have time alone to work, and dont ever make them the bad guy for being wired this way. Honor the fact that this is who they are and see them as amazing, and it will pay off big.

If a person is fear of loss dominant and task-focused, they need control much more than they need validation. Let this person have some things they can control. Understand that if you dont get tasks done or if you do them wrong, they could feel mistreated or taken from.

If a person is fear of loss dominant and ideas focused, they need control and to be right as much as possible. They need you to listen to their ideas or knowledge and validate that they know their stuff. Make sure if you think they are wrong, you handle that gently and validate how smart they are.

Are you starting to see how the fears and values go together? When you understand the other person at this level, you will understand their wiring and it will be much easier to make them feel safe.

By the way, having the same fears and values doesn't necessarily make a relationship more successful. The success of a relationship really comes from how mindful, emotionally intelligent and in control of their own fears the parties are. If both people are working on their personal fear triggers and learning how to make themselves feel safe, they wont expect their partner to do that for them.

No one can cure your fear issues but you, and you have to stay responsible for your inner state and happiness. If you are both learning how to stay balanced, happy, and out of fear, you can work through most issues maturely and will get along great.

You can do this.

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Coach Kim: The anatomy of your relationship - KSL.com

Madagascars aye-aye lemur is an endearing aberration of an animal.

It has enormous ears, a bushy tail, mammary glands between its legs and white hairs that bristle when its agitated. Above a vampiric nose and mouth of incisors that never stop growing, candy-corn-colored eyes glow like full moons. Gangly fingers capped in curled claws punctuate its hands. The middle finger, a spindly stick, rotates on a ball-and-socket joint. Sometimes it folds over an even longer fourth finger.

If these werent enough to meet the quota for eccentric adaptations, scientists just found another a secret spare thumb. This pseudo thumb, as it is called, even has a fingerprint.

Weve studied the function of those weird, spindly middle fingers so long that nobody ever looked at this kind of lowly structure on the wrist, said Adam Hartstone-Rose, an anatomist at North Carolina State University who led the team that completed the research. But that structure has arguably more evolutionary significance than that weird, little spindly finger.

Other animals also have extra appendages. But the aye-ayes spare thumb, described on Monday in The American Journal of Physical Anthropology, may have developed under circumstances not yet observed in any other animals. The study demonstrates that theres still much more to learn about how different lineages of vertebrates evolved even by looking at anatomy we thought we understood.

A century of study and numerous X-rays overlooked the aye-ayes pseudo thumb. Dr. Hartstone-Rose and his team found it by accident when examining the aye-ayes forearm muscles. They followed a muscle that attaches to all primates hands for mobility, but were surprised to find tiny tendons also connecting it to the palm and a nubby bone between the thumb and wrist with a cartilaginous extension.

We realized that there were these different muscles that were controlling this whole thing, Dr. Hartstone-Rose said, allowing the structure to move away from and toward the other fingers, as well as into the palm, like a thumb.

They confirmed this structure existed in seven total aye-ayes, suggesting it was part of the misfit mammals anatomy. And the reason for it seems to be related to its peculiar foraging technique.

At night, aye-ayes hunt using echolocation. They tap branches with slender fingers, listening for voids in the wood. When a branch bounces back a particular hollow howl insect tunnels intersecting beneath the bark the lemur bites down and rips open the woody flesh. It inserts its spindly middle finger into the hole and swivels it around, fishing out grubs with its claws.

While these long, delicate fingers are perfect for tap foraging, theyre lousy at much else. If the animal tried using the middle finger for traveling, it would snap beneath the aye-ayes weight.

The aye-ayes hands became so specialized at this tap foraging that they lost the ability to grip, Dr. Hartstone-Rose said. They compensated, he thinks, with pseudo thumbs.

If the researchers confirm their hypothesis by studying aye-aye lemurs living at the Duke Lemur Center in Durham, N.C., the aye-aye will be the first animal described to have evolved an extra digit for dexterity because of a hyper-specialized trait.

In other cases, animals evolved additional digits to compensate when their fingers became less specialized, or to broaden their hands. For instance, the original thumb became just another finger for the bear lineage, but the Giant Panda developed a pseudo thumb because it helped with eating bamboo. And extra digits made moles better diggers.

But aye-ayes may not be alone for long: Were starting to look at some of the wrist structures in bats, Dr. Hartstone-Rose said. We think that they have some similar kinds of little grasping accessory digits that theyve added to their wrists.

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Add Pseudo Thumb to the Aye-Aye Lemurs Bizarre Anatomy - The New York Times

Shortly after midnight last Friday, Ann Nolan, deputy head of the Department of Finance, and two officials working on AIBs flotation hailed a taxi from the Dawson Street base of stockbrokers Davy in Dublin to the home of Paschal Donohoe.

The Finance Minister of just one week had been on standby in Phibsborough all evening, as department officials, investment bankers from Deutsche Bank, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Davy, divvied out AIB shares to more than 230 international fund managers and 6,500 small investors who had sought access to Europes largest initial public offering (IPO) so far this year.

The Minister made us a cup of tea and we spent an hour with him, said Des Carville, head of the Department of Finances banking unit and official in charge of the flotation, who shared the taxi ride. He had plenty of questions and we walked him through where we were with the deal and the final list of investors.

Armed with Mr Donohoes approval and signature on various documents, the trio headed back to the deals nerve centre in Davy, to finalise paperwork, paving the way for AIB to return that morning to the main stock markets in Dublin and London after a 7-year absence.

It was after 2am before all assembled, including AIB chief executive Bernard Byrne and his chief financial officer Mark Bourke, who had flown in from London that evening, headed home. They wouldnt get much sleep.

Project Viking, two years in the planning, culminated at 7am that morning when the Government confirmed it had sold an initial 25 per cent stake in the most expensive surviving Irish bank to bail out during the crisis, raising 3 billion. The Department sold a further 3.8 per cent stake after trading began, potentially raising a further 400 million for the exchequer. AIB shares rose as much as 7.7 per cent in early trading.

The bank that floated was a very different animal to the one that was seized by the State two days before Christmas in 2010 to avert its collapse under the weight of mounting bad debts.

To limit its taxpayer bailout to 20.8 billion between 2009 and 2011, AIB was forced to sell billions of euros of assets including its profitable Polish unit, Bank Zachodni WBK, and 24 per cent stake in US lender M&T Bank and inflict 5 billion of losses on holders of its riskiest, subordinated bonds.

As a ward of the State, the company slashed thousands of jobs and put as many as 2,000 staff into a loan-restructuring unit to work through and restructure a mountain of soured loans, which topped 29 billion in 2013, over a third of its entire loan book at the time.

The fruits of the efforts were apparent in early March, when the group reported its impaired loans had fallen to 9 billion, pre-tax profits came to 1.7 billion for 2016 and that it had sufficient capital in reserve to give regulators comfort for AIB to pay a 250 million dividend.

The market reaction to the full-year 2016 results were very important we assessed it very closely, said Mr Carville. The icing on the cake was getting the dividend. That was very material in terms of AIBs valuation and also [potential investors in] the bank. Suddenly the guys who really like to have income in their investments were very interested in this as well.

While the then minister for finance, Michael Noonan, stuck to a script that he saw two windows to float AIB this year in May/June or in the autumn officials working on the deal were emboldened enough by the London reception and general market conditions to start working towards a deal in early May.

British prime minister Theresa Mays move on April 18th to call a snap election on June 8th put paid to such plans. An announcement on a deal was notionally put back until the end of the month, meaning it would price towards the end of June, leaving investors plenty of time to digest the UK vote.

But no one had counted on a second UK surprise, when it became clear in the early hours of June 9th that Theresa May had failed to return an expected landslide victory and now found herself short of a parliamentary majority 10 days before crucial Brexit talks were due to start.

As markets absorbed the shock outcome, AIBs chief executive, Mark Bourke popped out of his office at the banks headquarters in Ballsbridge in Dublin at 8am to meet Des Carville in a nearby coffee shop. Matters were out of their control at this stage, so they decided to keep a watching a brief on European markets.

At mid-morning, bankers from Deutsche Bank, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Davy, who were leading the 3 billion share sale, as well as the Department of Finances independent advisers, Rothschild, gathered in Dublin for a pre-scheduled meeting on how the deal was going down.

While feedback from the nine firms working on the deal, including Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Goodbody, JP Morgan, UBS and Investec and whose analysts had carried out 1,500 meetings with potential investors in less than two weeks, was upbeat, the UK result had thrown a spanner in the works.

By the time the markets had closed on Monday, advisers on the deal felt that issuance of the price range and prospectus could actually be brought forward. Michael Noonan made the call that evening to proceed immediately, setting an initial price range for the shares being sold at between 3.90 and 4.90 each. It would be his last major decision as finance minister, capping six years in office.

At AIB Bankcentre in Ballsbridge, a team in a fourth-floor room in the investor relations department where a wall carried four clocks displaying times in Dublin, Los Angeles, New York and Hong Kong kicked into action, mobilising three teams to market the bank globally.

Robert Mulhall, head of AIBs Irish retail and commercial banking division, was already on the west coast of the US, having attended a Google executive conference in Silicon Valley that weekend, according to sources. Group director of finance and investor relations Myles OGrady flew out to meet him on the Tuesday and begin that leg of the roadshow.

In Dublin, Bernard Byrne, Mark Bourke and investor relations managers Niamh Hore and Rose ODonovan kicked off in Dublin meeting fund managers before heading to London, where they were joined by group chief operating officer Tomas OMidheach.

Meanwhile, group treasurer Donal Galvin, chief economist Oliver Mangan and Janet McConkey of investor relations flew to Singapore to begin the courting of Asian investors before returning to Europe, where they met up with Colin Hunt, head of wholesale and institutional banking.

Within 24 hours of the initial pricing range being set, the investment banks decided to prod potential investors by putting out a notification that they had received enough orders to cover all the shares being sold.

On June 21st, Paschal Donohoe signed off on a narrowing of the price range to between 4.30 and 4.50, and the following morning he allowed managers of the transaction to send out a warning an hour before the order books closed at noon that any bids below 4.40 risked being cut out of the deal.

With the price of the transaction set at 4.40, the three main firms managing the process assembled at Davy at 5pm on June 22nd with Department of Finance officials, including Scott Rankin, Joseph Cummins, Ronan Heavey, Gary Hynds and Elaine McNamara and AIBs Bernard Byrne to go through the allocation of shares to investors.

Some 6,500 small investors would receive 10 per cent of the shares on offer. About 30 per cent of the institutional investors who sought to get on board were refused any shares as they hadnt met analysts or management during the process.

Wed never heard of them. The majority of them, if not all of them, were just momentum traders, who would sell immediately if the stock went up, said Mr Carville. It would have been close to midnight before the allocations were completed.

US investors snapped up a quarter of the shares being sold, with UK-based institutions accounting for a
third, with the remainder handed out to investors across Europe and the rest of the world.

The reception in continental Europe wasnt quite as good as elsewhere, said an investment banking source close to the deal. There still is a bit of scepticism in Europe about Irish banks and, indeed, the banking sector in general.

While non-performing loans have come down sharply across Irish banks over the past four years, as the economy rebounded from the crash and lenders restructured problem loans at pace, almost 16 per cent of loans across the sector remain impaired, according to Government figures. Thats three times the European average.

Still, AIB shares jumped 4.5 per cent on the opening of trade in Dublin at 8am last Friday, to 4.60, before rising as much as 7.7 per cent.

Im absolutely satisfied that the 4.40 price was right, said Des Carville, a former corporate financier with Davy, who was hired by the department in 2013 to head the management of the States stakes in bailed-out banks. We lost quite a number of investors at that price, as it was just too expensive for them. Thats the acid test. But, importantly, we also kept equally high-quality investors at that level. But once you went above 4.40, the quality fell off a cliff. Mr Carvilles first congratulatory text of the day came within minutes of trading getting under way, from Richie Boucher, the outgoing chief executive of Bank of Ireland, in which taxpayers continue to own a 14 per cent stake.

He was followed shortly by Jeremy Masding, chief executive of Permanent TSB, which is 75 per cent State owned.

After that, it was around to Doheny & Nesbitts on Baggot Street for 18 members of the departments banking team for a quick celebratory breakfast.

Mr Byrne sent a short video message by email to AIBs 10,400 staff less than half the banks workforce before the crash shortly after 7am.

This marks a really satisfactory conclusion to what has been a long, difficult and complicated process, he said. Everyone should be very proud of what this investment means.

Now we are in a position where the bank that weve been building, the bank that weve asked everyone to believe in is clearly one that investors believe they can invest in.

Before the IPO, AIB had repaid only 3.3 billion of capital pumped into the bank. However, the State had also recouped an additional 3.5 billion in cash from AIB, the most costly bank rescue behind Anglo Irish Bank, by way of interest payments on bailout bonds and guarantee fees.

Mr Donohoe told journalists last week that he was confident the State would recover all of the money injected into the bank, over time. Still, by Michael Noonans previous admission, it could take up to a decade before taxpayers are fully rid of AIB shares.

Meanwhile, Nolan, a key figure on the States bailout and restructuring of the banking sector during the crisis, signalled yesterday she plans to retire at the end of next month

More:
Inside Project Viking: Anatomy of deal to float AIB - Irish Times

Where North Korea can strike

For years, North Korea has had the ability to launch short-range missiles at targets up to 800 miles away. But this year, North Korea successfully tested intermediate-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles. Experts now think the country is capable of hitting targets more than 7,000 miles away, which includes cities in the continental United States.

Active U.S.

military

personnel

Missile type

KN-08

7,200 miles

Active U.S.

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Active U.S.

military

personnel

North Koreas nuclear program has grown under Kim Jong Un, while missile ranges have considerably expanded. Kim conducted 24 missile tests in 2016 and 14 tests already in 2017.

Missile ranges

Apr. 9, 1984: North Korea first begins testing variants of Soviet Scud missiles.

Dec. 12, 2012: Kim Jong Un becomes ruler in the wake of his father's death.

July 28, 2017: North Korea fires its second intercontinental ballistic missile.

Failed missile tests

Only 2,100 miles southeast of North Korea, Guam is a strategic target because of its two American military bases Andersen Air Force Base and Naval Base Guam. There are 3,831 U.S. military personnel stationed there in addition to several B-1 bombers and fighter jets.

Andersen

US Air Force Base

Andersen

US Air Force Base

Andersen

US Air Force Base

View original post here:
Anatomy of a Crisis: The North Korea threat - Politico

With Shonda Rhimes now moving Shondaland to Netflix, should fans be worried about the future of Greys Anatomy?

On Sunday, it was announced that Rhimes has signed a multi-year deal with Netflix, moving her production company from ABC to the streamer. Heres the good news: Rhimes move will not affect Greys, Scandal, How to Get Away With Murder, midseason legal entry For the People, or the upcoming Greys Anatomy spin-off. As long as those shows are on the air, they will air on ABC, and Rhimes/Shondaland will still be involved with their production.

But how much life is left in the veteran medical drama, which is heading into its 14th season this fall? ABC chief Channing Dungey had previously expressed hope that Greys would outlive NBCs stalwart medical series ER, which ran for 15 seasons. Thatd be lovely, Dungey told EW in January. Ill take even more! Honestly, I think that the show is going to continue as long as Shonda and the gang have a creative passion for telling those stories. At the moment, it feels like were full steam ahead.

ABC sources say that hope has not changed in the wake of Rhimes move. Shondaland sources, meanwhile, are confident Greys Anatomy will continue to air on ABC for a very long time to come. In other words, Greys Anatomy wont be ending any time soon.

Greys Anatomy will return with a two-hour premiere on Thursday, Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Continue reading here:
Grey's Anatomy: What does Shondaland's move mean for the show's future? - EW.com

Rob Savidge just didn't think it would be much of a problem.

A project manager for the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works, he gave the go-ahead to make repairs on storm drain inlets on Forest Drive at Bay Ridge Avenue in Annapolis starting at 8 a.m. April 4.

The result came as a surprise for Savidge, but perhaps even more for thousands of motorists stuck in gridlock memorable even in a part of the city known for traffic jams. On a bright sunny morning they found themselves stuck for more than an hour at the confluence of Hillsmere Drive, Bay Ridge Road, Bay Ridge Avenue and Forest Drive because someone didn't realize the impact of shutting down lanes in rush hour.

"That's the most frustrating part of all of this," said Savidge, now a candidate for City Council in the ward next to the intersection. "At the time, I was following the procedures that I was aware of.

"Just, unfortunately, a lot of things came together."

Documents released to The Capital under a series of Maryland Public Information Act requests show city and county officials searched for hours on the morning of April 4 to explain what seemed like an inexplicable traffic jam.

Now, Department of Public Works spokesman Matt Diehl said, they've come up with a solution to prevent a reoccurrence. Every construction project affecting county roads and supervised by the department must now be reviewed by the Traffic Engineering Division before work begins.

It's a follow-up to a promise made by county Public Works Director Christopher Phipps, who wrote shortly after the traffic jam that the backup "was the result of a failure to coordinate ...."

"Impacting traffic on a main road during the morning or afternoon commute for anything other than an emergency should not happen," he wrote in a letter to The Capital. "However, you have my commitment that steps are now in place to appropriately coordinate any such work along this corridor and avoid situations like this in the future."

Emails obtained by The Capital show that no one seemed to know exactly what was going on that morning.

City spokeswoman Rhonda Wardlaw emailed Mayor Mike Pantelides explaining that neither Diehl nor "anyone at the higher levels" at Public Works was told about the project before work began.

That left city officials struggling to explain what was happening as they heard from angry constituents unable to get to work on time. Those complaints went to many officials, including County Executive Steve Schuh.

During an interview on the morning of April 4, Wardlaw said city officials learned of the backup through social media.

In an email to Pantelides, Wardlaw later wrote that there was confusion between Savidge and the Annapolis Police Department as it was trying to deal with traffic backing up for more than 2 miles on the Annapolis Neck Peninsula.

Wardlaw wrote that Savidge was identified as the project manager and he told police the work "was an expedited project that needed to be done in the next few days," which police officials interpreted as an "emergency" project. The department posted that information on its social media pages, which prompted Diehl to issue a correction.

A few hours after the work was called off and the traffic jam cleared, Pantelides was still pressing his staff to find out who was in charge of the ill-timed project.

"Who was the project manager responsible for the horrible traffic this morning? Was it an emergency or just routine maintenance poorly scheduled?" Pantelides wrote in a 12:30 p.m. email to his staff. "The county executive assured me it will not happen again."

Pantelides is familiar with Savidge, a former city planner who has been critical of city laws designed to protect forested land and how they are administered.

Phipps wrote to Pantelides that he planned to "(r)eiterate to staff the criticality of understanding the impact of any traffic disruption along major roads during rush hours."

Savidge said he faced no disciplinary action because of the traffic jam.

And Wardlaw said the city is confident the county has properly addressed the issue.

"We're just grateful that there was a problem and they have fixed it and justified it," she said. "I'm not concerned about 'Will this situation happen again?' I don't know if it will."

"It was one person making a decision, not the county making the decision."

Read the original:
Anatomy of a traffic jam: How storm drain repairs locked up Annapolis - CapitalGazette.com

Dear Abby: I recently had to spend a night in the hospital following minor surgery. One of the female techs taking care of me leaned over me to straighten out the bedding and I could see everything when the top of her scrubs fell open. Im not sure if it was on purpose or by accident. I say this because after the first time, it happened several more times. I only looked the first time out of shock. The other times, I looked away. Other than saying, Hey, lady, I can see your boobies when you bend over, whats the polite way to say, Oops wardrobe malfunction?

Got an Eyeful in Illinois

Dear Got an Eyeful: Since, with luck, you wont have to make another visit to the hospital, I think your question may be moot. However, the discreet way to deal with something like that would be to mention what happened to the head nurse or supervisor and say that it made you uncomfortable.

Photo: EMPPhotography, Getty Images

A hospital patient experienced more than they wanted during a recent stay.

A hospital patient experienced more than they wanted during a recent stay.

Dear Abby: Hospital patient receives surprise anatomy lesson

Dear Abby: Im in my early 30s and recently met a very attractive woman my age. We are planning to get married. She wants us to be married as soon as possiblebecause she has been divorced for the last seven years. My problem is, shes extremely secretive about her past, especially the period between her divorce and our meeting. I have been open with her about my past, but when I ask about hers, she refuses to discuss it and says it has nothing to do with our relationship. I have a feeling there may be something nasty shes hiding. Im afraid Im heading into a trap, but my love for her makes it tough to consider breaking up. Am I being too demanding?

Concerned Guy in the South

Dear Concerned Guy: If your intuition is screaming that your girlfriends desire for a hasty marriage could spell trouble in the future, you should pay close attention to it. It is not too demanding to want to know what ones fiancee has been doing for the past seven years. Under no circumstances should you marry this woman without first talking to a lawyer, who I am sure will suggest doing a background check and/or drafting an ironclad prenuptial agreement.

Dear Abby: I recently attended a bridal shower for my nephews fiancee. My sister-in-law (the future mother-in-law of the bride) also attended the shower. She did not choose any gifts from the brides registry, but decided instead to give the bride lingerie, including thong underwear. Frankly, I was shocked. I didnt think it was appropriate for either the mother or the future mother-in-law to give such intimate gifts. Am I wrong?

Flummoxed in Florida

Dear Flummoxed: Shower guests are not restricted to items based solely upon the couples registry. They can give whatever gift they wish to the bride and groom. Your sister-in-law chose something she thought the bride and groom would enjoy. Please try to be less judgmental and hope she was right.

Go here to read the rest:
Dear Abby: Hospital patient receives surprise anatomy lesson ... - SFGate

The Seattle Sounders stole a dramatic road point against the Portland Timbers last Sunday in what was their arguably their best effort of the season. Down a man and a goal for the entire second half, substitute Clint Dempsey headed home an equalizer in the 94th minute to stun Providence Park.

The entire sequence, though Roman Torres pinpoint cross to Dempsey, Dempseys towering header and the unlikeliest of goals did not matriculate from nothing. What led to the Sounders game-tying tally was a seemingly inconspicuousdefensive play by Cristian Roldan on Dairon Asprilla.

Nearing the end of the 93rd minute, the Timbers cleared the ball from their own 18-yard-box and found Asprilla in open space on the left side of the pitch. Desperate for an equalizer, the Sounders had thrown almost everyone forward, which in turnleft Asprilla and Fanendo Adi in a 2-on-2 situation with Nouhou and a retreating Roldan.

Rather than sprinting back aimlessly, Roldan defended with purpose, coming in goalside on an angle behind Asprilla.

When Asprilla finally receivedthe ball, his options were limited because of Roldans positioning. Asprilla turnedand facedbackward, attempting to hold up the ball in search of a teammate. He never gets the chance to find one.

Hanging on Asprillas right shoulder, Roldan reached his left leg around Asprilla and poked the ball away. Roldan then quickly led the Sounders back in the ascendancy and left an off-balanced Asprilla on the Providence Park turf.

What Roldans stalwart defending did was not only unbalance Asprilla, but the entire Portland team that had just begun pushing forward to clear its own end in anticipation ofan attack. Roldan recognizedthis and pickedout Osvaldo Alonso wide open in the center of the park.

The Timbers were scrambling at this point, but they were not totally undone until Dempsey set up his own attempt on goal with a simple off-the-ball run that very few players would have had the wherewithal to make.

Alonso hadthe ball and was looking for Dempsey to his right, but he was being trailed by Diego Chara with Ben Zemanski blocking Alonsos passing lane.

Rather than stay put or check back to Alonso, Dempsey saw a pocket of space behind Zemanski and to Zemanskisright. Dempsey ran toward it and by doing so, pulledChara out of position and forcedZemanski to lean in that direction, opening a giant passing lane for Alonso to find the late run ofTorres.

Another reason why Dempsey was able to able to rise and meet Torres cross without much resistance was becausehis run into the box was unimpeded. When the ball swungwide to Torres, Chara shifted his attentionand left Dempsey free to roam.

This left the two Timbers center backs with very little time to communicate on whose responsibility it was to guard Dempsey. By the time they figured it out, Dempsey was jumping over Amobi Okugo and redirecting Torres cross past a helpless Jake Gleeson in goal.

Dempseys finish was a fantastic one and is another example of why hes on the brink of becoming the United States all-time leading goalscorer, but it would not have happened without his subtle off-the-ball movement and a little help from the Swiss army knife that is Cristian Roldan. Goals dont happen in a vacuum. Singular moments of brilliance are always preceded by several small but vital plays, and the Sounders proved that yet again on Sunday.

Continue reading here:
Anatomy of a Goal: How Cristian Roldan's defense, Clint Dempsey's movement led to equalizer against Portland - SoundersFC.com

Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomy is an iPad app that displays Leonardo's "lost" anatomical illustrations and discusses their historical significance and their context in his life story.

Leonardo da Vinci is revered as one of the greatest artists of all time in addition to being an engineer and an inventor. One of his less known efforts is his treatise On the Human Body and its several hundred anatomical illustrations. Between his keen powers of observation and his exceptional artistic skill, he created an oeuvre that would have been groundbreaking at the time (the early 1500s), but he died before he could publish it. This trove of illustrations, which came to be housed in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle in the UK, was largely lost to the world for over 400 yearsbut no longer. Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomy is an iPad app displaying all 268 pages of Leonardo da Vinci's anatomical drawings, in high resolution and with commentary and translated text.

Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomy is a creation of Touch Press, whose offerings include several PCMag Editors' Choice apps, including The Pyramids and two rare 5-star iPad apps: The Elements: A Visual Exploration and Molecules by Theodore Gray. Touch Press apps are notable for their design and production quality and their masterful integration of text and graphics, and Leonardo: Anatomy is no exception. Its historical value is incalculable, and it's an easy pick for an Editors' Choice educational iPad app.

Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomy is strictly for the iPad, benefitting from the device's large screen. I tested it on an iPad Air 2 running iOS 10.2.

The first time you launch Leonardo: Anatomy, you view an introductiona short video by Martin Clayton, Senior Curator of Prints and Paintings at the Royal Libraryand then you are taken to the Home page. Below the app's title, the page is split in half, with The Story on the left and The Drawings on the right. Beneath The Story are links to the app's 11 chapters, stacked next to a vertical illustration of a spine, while in a window beneath The Drawings, illustrations from Leonardo's notebooks slowly cycle, slideshow-style.

The Story is a written account of Leonardo's life and work, with a particular focus on his anatomical drawings. The text is lucid and engaging, and the chapters are illustrated mostly with da Vinci paintings and drawings that are not part of the collection, along with the one known portrait of him, painted when da Vinci was about 60. Each chapter ends with a short video discussion of the significance of his work by a scholar or physician. As this part of Leonardo's story is relatively unknown, yet vital to the understanding of these particular drawings, I will describe it in some detail here.

Born in 1452, by the age of 20 da Vinci had joined the Florentine painters' guild. It wasn't until the mid-1480s that he started his anatomical drawings. By the time he moved to Milan in 1483, his interests had expanded into sculpture, architecture, and military engineering; for the latter, he drew sheet after sheet of novel weapon designs. His interests in science also blossomed. In addition to writing about optics and hydrodynamics, he prepared notes for a theoretical treatise on painting, tackling scientific aspects like the nature of perspective, shadow, and colors.

By the late 1480s he was doing detailed drawings of the human body, above all to satisfy his own intellectual curiosity and try to understand, for example, the relationship between the mind and the body. Eventually he dissected human cadavers (about 30 in all), as well as those of animals. It was commonly believed that people were divinely created and perfectly proportioned, to mirror the divine form of the universe, an idea passed down from the Roman architect Vitruvius. Leonardo's Vitruvian Man, which the text describes as the most famous drawing of all time, explores such human proportion in relation to geometrical forms (circle and square).

Leonardo applied his knowledge of perspective and anatomy in preparing his masterwork, The Last Supper. Although the painting itself has faded greatly over the centuries, preparatory drawings show his intent in portraying the expressions of Christ's disciples after he had informed them that one of them would betray him. Leonardo's knowledge of the deeper facial structures comes through most prominently in Judas's expression of guilty shock at Christ's pronouncement.

After a period of relative inactivity, in which Leonardo left Milan to return to Florence after his patron was overthrown, he returned to his anatomical drawings, having all but given up fine-art painting. For about 5 years starting in 1507, they became his prime focus. By 1511 he had amassed a large number of annotated drawings, and his notes indicate that he was nearing the completion of his study of the human body. But that year northern Italy was hit by the plague, and among the dead was his young collaborator, Marcantonio della Torre. Then war drove him into the countryside, and he no longer had a source of corpses for dissection, but he continued to study animals, oxen in particular, from which he was able to investigate the structure of the heart.

Da Vinci, who died in 1519, never did get to publish his anatomical drawings; the app claims that his treatise "would have been by far the most accurate work on human anatomy published at that time." In 1543, Andreas Vesalius' De Humani Corporis Fabrica, which became the most important work on anatomy ever published, appeared in print. At least Leonardo's anatomical illustrations survive, have largely stood the test of time, and are finally getting the attention they are due. The drawings, which have been in the British Royal Collection since at least 1690, were shown in the UK in two shows in 2012 and 2013, and can be seen now by anyone with an iPad.

When you tap on an illustration on the right-hand side of the Home page, you're taken to a page with a set of thumbnails on the right and a list of topics to the left. You can view the whole kit and caboodle, all 268 drawings, or choose a particular subject. The topics include time periods (Early works 1485-95, for instance), Interactive Drawings (VR illustrations, say of a rotating skull or a beating heart), materials (Metalpoint, Chalk, or Pen and Ink), subjects (Animal Studies), and exhibitions (2012 or 2013). In turn, you can press a button above the headings titled Body, and view drawings of the body, muscles, organs, vessels, or the skeleton.

Whichever topic you choose, by tapping any of the thumbnails on the right side, you can view the full-screen drawings one by one by swiping to the left. By using buttons around the perimeter of each page of drawings, you can view the original, an English translation (if there is any text), or a mirror image of the text. Da Vinci himself wrote using (reverse) mirror writing, a habit that the app's text suggests he developed because he was left-handed. An Information button brings up a description of the drawing catalog information for those illustrations that were in the 2013 exhibition. You can also share an illustration on Facebook or Twitter or via email from a pull-down menu accessible through a Share button.

The drawings, though astounding and masterful, are not for everyone. To enjoy them, it helps to have a stomach for anatomy, as many are cutaway views of corpses or human organs. Some illustrations show nudity, and as da Vinci portrayed the human reproductive system, a few are sexually explicit, including a cutaway view of a couple in the midst of intercourse. But artists, people in the medical profession, historians, and anyone interested in the life and work of one of the most extraordinary people ever to walk the Earththe archetypal Renaissance manwill want to get Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomy. Nowhere else is his synthesis of art and science shown to such good effect, and the app is not only an artistic marvel of great historical significance but is also easily worthy of an Editors' Choice.

Read more:
Leonardo da Vinci: Anatomy (for iPad) - PCMag India

In early May, on the day our Legislature adjourned, one of the newspapers summarized our Legislatures work on the Honolulu transit surcharge extension as Epic Fail on Rail. With the Federal Highway Administration poised to pull out its $1.5 billion commitment if no funding solution is firmed up, our legislators need to get their collective act together if they want to help the project get back on track.

How did we get to be in this spot? This week well retrace Senate Bill 1183 and its tortuous history through our legislative labyrinth.

SB 1183, like its companion House Bill 1442, was a six-page bill to extend permanently the current rail surcharge on general excise tax. The bill also proposed to give an unspecified percentage of the surcharge proceeds to the state Department of Transportation. The other counties were given the option to adopt their own GET surcharge beginning in 2018.

The first committees to work on the bill, the Senate committees on Transportation and Energy and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, came up with a 78-page monster containing two parts, one that would extend the surcharge permanently and another that would extend it to the year 2032. (Yes, these conflict with each other.)

Other sections of the bill would establish a tax credit for low-income taxpayers, raise the base GET rate to 4.5 percent for everyone (the surcharge would be on top of that) and contained a pages-long laundry list of mandates to the city. At the time, the Senate transportation chair explained that she wanted to keep all options open.

The Senate Ways and Means Committee took a very different tack. Its 10-page version basically said, Well take away the states 10 percent skim off the surcharge, but no extension; youre on your own. That draft unanimously passed the full Senate and went over to the House.

There, the House Transportation Committee kept the bill alive by putting blanks in it its draft extended the tax to an unspecified date, reinstated the skim but replaced the percentage with a blank percent to recover the states costs and a blank percent that would go the DOT for state highway projects.

The House Finance Committee then filled in the blanks, extending the tax for two years, and dropping the skim to 1 percent, none of which would be earmarked for the DOT.

This version went to the Conference Committee, and then surprising things started happening. First, the Senate proposed a new draft, radically different from the version that passed the Senate, which extended the surcharge for 10 years and raised the skim to 20 percent. The House came back with a draft that left the GET surcharge untouched, dropped the skim to 1 percent, and raised the hotel room tax from 9.25 percent to a hefty 12 percent.

The latter proposal, though innovative, caught the hotel industry unaware, prompting vigorous objections. Then-Senate money chair Jill Tokuda agreed to that version with tweaks a few hours later, thereby making the Final Decking deadline.

After frantic meetings through the weekend, the money chairs, apparently with some members of the hotel industry, reached a compromise involving a shorter GET extension and a lower TAT hike. Amendments were introduced on the chamber floors to implement the agreement, although another version with only a GET extension and no TAT increase, which Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell supported, was circulating in the Senate. The House passed one version and jettisoned its speaker, while the Senate adopted the other version and deposed Tokuda as chair. With no agreement between the chambers, neither version can be enacted. That is where we are now.

We now seem to have a bunch of rudderless ships in the harbor banging into each other. Could the governor have brought both sides together? Was Senate President Ronald Kouchi capable of herding the 25 senators? And how about former Speaker Joe Souki, new Speaker Scott Saiki or House money chair Sylvia Luke? To what or whom should we be looking for leadership to get us out of this mess?

* Tom Yamachika is president of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

One of the perks of being a professional emcee and interviewer is getting to work with all kinds of talented folks. ...

Sitting almost knee to knee, locking eyes as you interview Connie Britton, Freida Pinto, Pierce Brosnan or Karen ...

Time and time again, the public sees news headlines about the countys Department of Public Works Highways ...

On Maui, we have a plan. A plan that has already ended homelessness for 671 people over the last year and shows ...

Theres a fine line between wistful reminiscence and curmudgeonly complaints, and I must admit, sometimes I cross ...

Read more:
Anatomy of epic fail on rail offered - Maui News

The writers were left to create a storyline for original cast member Justin Chambers following his sudden departure from the medical drama. His last episode aired in November.

Vernoff explains that Chambers' character arc "was a very careful threading of a needle, where we are giving a little bit of information and pain to Jo," she said of Camilla Luddington's character, Jo Karev, adding, "We're, episode by episode, illuminating the story of where Alex is. And it takes us quite a few more episodes to get there and to give the audience clarity."

Luddington's Jo was also taken into consideration when figuring out what to do with Chambers' character.

"Jo went through so much pain and so much grief just last season that I wanted to be careful," Vernoff said. "And so it's a bit of a mystery (what's going on with Alex), so that we don't watch Jo in the same place that we watched her in last season. We did it as carefully as we could. But it takes a while to get there," she said.

"For some time now, however, I have hoped to diversify my acting roles and career choices. And, as I turn 50 and am blessed with my remarkable, supportive wife and five wonderful children, now is that time."

See the rest here:
'Grey's Anatomy' fans to find out what happened to Dr. Alex Karev - CNN

On February 17, at a security review meeting attended by, among others, the citys outgoing police commissioner Amulya Patnaik and additional chief secretary (home) Satyagopal (who goes by only one name), Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal raised the possibility of the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests spreading to other parts of the city from Shaheen Bagh in the light of the visit of US President Donald Trump (on February 24 and 25) and a ruling by the Supreme Court that could ask the protesters to vacate the site (the court, on February 26, deferred the hearing to March 23).

According to documents seen by HT, Baijal verbally told those present at the meeting that there could be an attempt to embarrass the Union government during the Trump visit, and that the police should strengthen its intelligence and also have adequate force ready. Patnaik said he would do both. On paper, Baijal is responsible for overall superintendence of Delhi Police, although, for many decades now, the force has mostly reported directly to the home ministry. The Intelligence Bureau also provided inputs to the Delhi Police that there was palpable tension in the citys north-east districts.

This intelligence some of it was generic, to be sure came to naught on February 22, when, according to video footage seen by HT, at around 10pm, activists and protesters caught the police unawares and occupied a road near the Jafrabad Metro station. Local police could not muster enough policewomen to remove them.

By the morning of February 23, the crowd at the site swelled. Top Delhi Police, Union government, and intelligence officials who spoke to HT said that the attempt was to create an alternative site to Shaheen Bagh.

February 23 was also when BJP leader Kapil Mishra said that if the police did not clear the site at Jafrabad, he and his supporters would. Mishra put out a video of this statement, highlighting his ultimatum to the police, on his Twitter account. Soon after, pro-CAA protesters started gathering at the predominantly Gurjar village of Maujpur. Reports from local residents of the area suggest many of them were outsiders, shipped in from Uttar Pradesh on buses. There are conflicting reports, though, and some say the crowds at Maujpur started gathering on Saturday evening itself.

A stretch of road separated the two groups. The growing crowd of Muslim, anti-CAA protesters at Jafrabad, and the growing crowd of Hindu, pro-CAA protesters at Maujpur. And between the two groups was Delhi Police, which, with its 73 reserve companies, was stretched almost to breaking point because of the forthcoming visit of the US President. Consequently, the force manning what would emerge as the flashpoint in the north-east district was left with few reserve companies at its disposal. Led by special commissioners Satish Golcha and Praveer Ranjan, the local polices priority was to ensure that the two groups did not clash on February 22 and 23.

They managed that to some extent on the first day. They gave up some ground on the second. And on the third day, February 24, they were overwhelmed. It wasnt until late evening of February 25 that they would regain a semblance of control. For 36 hours between Monday morning and Tuesday evening, many neighbourhoods in the north-east burnt.

On Sunday evening, there were reports of stone-pelting and firing from Kardampuri and Brahmpuri areas. By Monday, the communal riot was on in full-swing. At the peak, around 20,000 people were involved in the violence, broken up into smaller groups that went at each other, and at the rival community on the narrow lanes and bylanes.

The police didnt have the numbers to quell the rioters. Nor did they have the numbers to handle the situation inside the neighbourhoods. To make things worse, the rioters were well armed with guns, swords, knives, rods and pipes, sticks, stones, and petrol bombs (Molotov cocktails).

With a mob of 20,000, there was nothing that we could do as the rioters would have lynched us also. There was no question of opening fire as there were far too many rioters armed to the teeth, said a top police official on condition of anonymity.

It was clear as early as Sunday that the Delhi Police leadership had under-assessed the threat. It was also clear that the leadership was not resourced adequately. Two IPS officers, including DCP (Shahdara) Amit Sharma, sustained critical head injuries, and head constable Ratan Lal lost his life as they tried to control rioters in the lanes of north-east Delhi even as more rioters rained stones down on. Taken by surprise, Delhi Police sent out a request for companies of paramilitary forces the same day, but by then the rioting was on.

At 10.30 am on Monday, February 24, at the LGs residence, Raj Niwas, Baijal met with Patnaik and Satygopal again. According to the minutes of the meeting, instructions were issued to Patnaik to strengthen and increase the police presence in the north-east districts, with flag marches and to impose Section 144 (which prohibits assembly of people in groups of four or more), wherever required. While Patnaik briefed the LG on the situation and protest at Jafrabad, he did not raise any requirement for more forces at the meeting. HT has reviewed documents related to the meeting. The situation on the ground was becoming worse.

Delhi Police was stretched thin; and only a few companies of paramilitary force arrived to bolster its strength. The riots continued to escalate. It was also a busy day for anyone concerned with law enforcement in Delhi Trump was arriving the following day. On the evening of February 24, the situation was reviewed by home secretary Ajay Bhalla and Intelligence Bureau director Arvind Kumar, with Patnaik in attendance. Home minister Amit Shah also cut short his visit (he was in Ahmedabad, the first leg of the US Presidents visit) and arrived in Delhi early on Monday evening.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was monitoring the situation throughout and after he landed from Gujarat on Monday late evening, he moved quickly. Decisive steps were taken on the intervening night, before President Trumps ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhawan. More forces were pumped into the area.

The riots continued on February 25, but stayed contained to north-east Delhi, allowing the US Presidents visit to proceed smoothly. On the afternoon of February 25, with more paramilitary forces in place, Delhi Police started its counter and began clearing out the main arterial roads of north-east Delhi. By then, the mob strength was also dwindling. Shah, who reviewed the situation in a meeting, and gave a carte blanche to Delhi Police when it came to the demand for additional forces. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal played a very positive role in the meeting and was willing to support any cause to help control the situation along with the LG. The Congresss Delhi leader Subhash Chopra also attended the meeting, as did BJPs Delhi chief Manoj Tiwary. Chopra wanted a case to be registered against Kapil Mishra.

With the Trump visit sharing space with Delhi riots on the front pages of newspapers, and with the visit coming to an end on Tuesday late evening (the US president flew out at 10pm), Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in consultation with Shah and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval took decisive steps to bring the situation under control. Advisories to news channels were issued, and the PM and Shah asked Doval to take charge of a seemingly weak police leadership. SN Shrivastava was appointed as special commissioner (Law and Order) on the same day.

The moves paid off, with the force led by Doval gaining control over the riot-hit areas on the same night, with only minor incidents of violence reported on February 26. The decision to bring in Doval ended up being a masterstroke: the NSAs position cuts through police and intelligence hierarchies and ensures everyone is on the same page.

While the riots have been controlled, at least 38 people have been killed and over 330 injured. Property worth tens of crores
has been destroyed. Some questions remain unanswered.

Was the Jafrabad protest orchestrated to embarrass the Modi government during the visit of the US President? In the past, there have always been incidents of violence in Jammu & Kashmir to coincide with visits of US Presidents. The riot also came on the eve of the UN Human Right Council session, where Pakistan raised the issue of minorities being persecuted in India, and New Delhi responded.

Did Delhi Police Commissioner Patnaik and his team under-assess the threat? Did Patnaiks imminent retirement on February 29 (he was already on a months extension) affect his ability to lead his team?

Or was everything a result of the police not having enough feet on the ground on Saturday and Sunday?

HT has reviewed the force strength on each day, and on February 26 there was a military division strength of reserve force helping out the local police.

But the story is far from over.

The rioters have gone back home, but with 38 dead, across both communities, north-east Delhi is expected to see a wave of targeted killings over the next few months, according to police and intelligence officials.

Read the rest here:
Delhi violence: Anatomy of a riot, and its escalation - Hindustan Times

Greys Anatomy vet Camilla Luddington announced on Monday that she is pregnant with her second child which, if the ABC serial were to write it in, sure would throw soon-to-be-ex husband Alex a curve ball!

Stemming from original cast member Justin Chambers abrupt parting of ways with Greys, the March 5 episode revealed via a series of handwritten letters from the MIA doc that characters read to themselves on-screen that he had reconnected with former love Izzie and was now living with her in Kansas, along with their 5-year-old twins, Eli and Alexis.

Alex wrote to his wife Jo that it felt like no time had passed when he reconnected with Izzie after years of silence. And if it had just been a case of him missing his first wife, thatd be one thing. But shed had his kids, via the eggs Alex had fertilized back when Izzie was fighting cancer. I need to give these kids the family you and I never had, he told Jo. When I told you I loved you, I meant it, but Izzie has our kids. Ergo, the enclosed, signed divorce papers. #Ouch #StillTooSoon

As entertaining as it might be to speculate that Greys will write in Luddingtons second pregnancy (after shooting around her first one, during Season 13), and thus give birth to a bouncing bundle of dramatic irony, the fact is that the show has kept hidden the actress pregnancy for months already, Luddington revealed. So it would appear that ship has sailed?

Luddington and her husband, Matthew Alan, have a daughter, Hayden, who turns 3 in April.

Original post:
Camilla Luddington announces pregnancy, but will 'Grey's Anatomy' write it in? - Page Six

The stress has been mounting at the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital as of late with the ongoing trauma from the car crashing into Joes Bar and personal problems with many of the surgeons on the ABC medical drama. The pressure does also seem to be taking its toll on Meredith Grey (played by Ellen Pompeo) and boyfriend Andrew Deluca (Giacomo Gianniotti). So are the pair going to call it a day on their relationship?

At the end of season 15, fans were delighted when Meredith and Deluca had their first kiss.

After ongoing fears she would lose her license, Deluca decided to surprise Meredith with champagne on the roof.

Here, the head of general surgery confessed her love for him which officially started the pairs romance on the show.

However, things have not been going as smoothly for the couple as of late.

READ MORE:Greys Anatomy season 16 Netflix release date: When is it on Netflix?

When the show returned for season 16 last year, Meredith was on trial, trying to win back her license after committing insurance fraud.

This put a massive strain on her relationship with Deluca as she told him she wasnt sure if they could still be together if she could no longer be a practicing surgeon as it would be too painful knowing he was doing her dream job.

She recently admitted she missed Deluca after spending some time apart but there could be a new love interest on the horizon which could see the end of their relationship.

In the season 16 midseason finale, fans were introduced to a new character in the shape of Dr. Cormac Hayes (Richard Flood) who has been nicknamed McWidow.

Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) messaged Meredith to let her know she had sent over a welcome back to work package but it wasnt an item but rather Dr Hayes who she had sent to Grey Sloan Memorial from her own hospital in Switzerland.

Cristina has also nicknamed him McWidow, hinting not only that his other half had died like Merediths husband Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) did, but that he could be the new McDreamy in her life, the playful nickname given to Derek.

DON'T MISS...

Grey's Anatomy: Why did Patrick Dempsey leave the series?[EXPLANATION]Greys Anatomy season 16 streaming: How to watch online and download[STREAMING]Grey's Anatomy season 16, episode 8 promo: What will happen next?[PROMO]

Dr Hayes is set to become the new head of paediatric surgery, replacing the beloved Dr Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) after the actor announced he was leaving the show.

Already, Hayes and Meredith have been at loggerheads with one another but could this mean a potential romantic connection, especially with things not going exactly to plan with Deluca?

Their turbulent relationship is set to continue in next weeks episode entitled A Diagnosis on Thursday, February 20.

The official synopsis reads: DeLuca is irritated after Meredith takes over his patient Suzanne whose symptoms continue to stump the doctors at Grey Sloan.

Elsewhere in the hospital, Jackson, Owen and Jo work on a couple injured in a bear attack; and Levi is hurt when Nico doesnt want him to meet his parents.

So could this mean the beginning of the end for Meredith and Deluca?

Greys Anatomy continues every Thursday at 9pm on ABC.

More here:
Greys Anatomy season 16: Will Meredith and Deluca break up? - Express

RELATED STORIES

THE PERFORMER | Chandra Wilson

THE SHOW | Greys Anatomy

THE EPISODE | Help Me Through the Night (Jan. 23, 2020)

THE PERFORMANCE |In Thursdays winter premiere of Greys Anatomy, as Bailey struggled to regain control following her miscarriage and the accident that had imperiled husband Ben, Wilson sketched a portrait of a woman on the verge that was so real, it all but ached.

Sometimes, the actress used broad strokes when Bailey pushed aside her roiling emotions by ordering Schmitt to do the same, for instance, and when she panicked that Helm was going to die on the operating table right in front of her. Other times, Wilson drew in fine lines as when she let terror and relief fight in her eyes in the moment that Helms heart restarted.

But what really made Wilsons portrait of grief and rage such a masterpiece was the finishing touch that she put on it. When Richard assured Bailey that her residents were fine everyone was fine, she at last allowed herself not only to express the feelings shed been choking down but experience them. Wilsons voice as raw as a fresh wound, Bailey replied that no, everyone wasnt fine she wasnt.

With that, her portrayer let boil a toxic cocktail of anger and sorrow as Bailey marveled that her daughter had been there one moment and the next, shed just been gone. And thered been nothing Bailey could do but stand there and lose her. In that moment, we were helpless, too. As Wilson submerged Bailey in grief, we could only sit there and watch, in equal measure heartsick and impressed.

HONORABLE MENTION | We know that the Powers That Be already have an idea of wholl get a spinoff once the crime drama ends in a few weeks. But if theres any wiggle room left, wed like to lobby hard for Elisa Marie because in Sundays episode, Mattea Conforti was gold. Weve always liked her portrayal of Proctors young daughter, but this weeks installment displayed her ability to play the aching reality of an innocent girl manipulated by a world full of very bad people. Elisa Maries internalized grief over her parents deaths came through in all of Confortis choices, cresting with the way Elisa Marie seemed unable to decide whether to fear Tommy or tell him her sad life story. If Conforti is this good this young, we cant wait to see what the coming years will bring.

HONORABLE MENTION | Anxiety is a cruel condition that creates an all-consuming inner torment while its sufferers struggle to maintain status quo. Niles Fitchs performance in Thursdays This Is Us proves that he absolutely understands that painful dichotomy. Fitch was so believable while college-age Randall tamped down his worries, and then heartbreaking as those worries resurfaced as inescapable nightmares. But we were most impressed with the scene in which he and new girlfriend Beth discussed the prospect of therapy. Fitch spoke quietly but firmly, showing Randalls hesitance to discuss this debilitating aspect of his personality but he allowed some vulnerability and hope to seep in, as well. Perhaps most impressively, Fitch closely mirrored co-star Sterling K. Browns approach to Randalls situation, lending the hour a throughline that strengthened the episode on the whole.

HONORABLE MENTION | In Season 2 of Netflixs Sex Education, Aimee Lou Woodsuperbly dramatized the rollercoaster of emotion that befalls a victim of sexual assault. But it was in Episode 7, when her character Aimee could no longer balance her myriad states of mind, that the actress really shined. If he could do something like that, then anyone could, she broke down to her friends. I always felt safe before and now I dont. As Aimee grew more cognizant of her feelings, Woods vulnerability and mannerisms sold her characters psychological damage. With support from her gal pals (and a trip to a junkyard), she pushed through the rage. Im angry that a horrible man ruined my best jeans and nobody did anything and now I cant get on the fking bus! she screamed while smashing a car to pieces. Woods performance allowed us to witness the devastating effects of sexual assault on a young woman. By the time Aimee courageously reboarded that bus, Wood had transformed her from fearful victim to brazen survivor.

Which performance(s) knocked your socks off this week? Tell us in Comments!

More:
Performer of the Week: Chandra Wilson - TVLine

Greys Anatomy has finally returned from its winter hiatus after leaving us all holding a collective breath after a grippingand potentially fatalfall finale.

Fortunately, the series is back on the air to finally address the aftermath of the car that plowed into Joes Bar, putting several of our favorite doctors, and later Station 19 firefighters, in grave danger.

ABC used the drama to create one one, big two-hour crossover episode with both the medical mainstay and its popular spinoff. At a glance, two hours of our favorite hotshots sounds too good to be true. However, some Greys fans lashed out on Twitter for a few different reasons.

The first was that Grey's and Station 19 are swapping times, with Station 19 now airing first on Thursdays at 8 p.m. EST followed by Grey's at 9 p.m.

Others were upset that they missed the first half of the two-episode event, unaware that they needed to tune in for both.

But even more seemed enraged over feeling forced to watch the spinoff in order to understand the new Greys that followed.

Since most of the overlapping events happened during the first hour as firefighters worked to free the victims from the rubble, it does sound pretty imperative to watch both.

Those who have never watched Station 19 seemed particularly annoyed, since they had to sit through a show in which they aren't familiar with the characters and arent super invested in.

It's not the first time the shows have overlapped, and it looks like more crossovers are to come. Krista Vernoff, the showrunner of both series, told Variety that plots will continue to intersect throughout the season. However, it sounds like it will be on a smaller scale, as Krista said that characters in Station 19 might become patients in the following episode of Greys (hence the time change).

Some fans picked up on the storyline possibilities with the shift in schedule as well.

Either way, it sounds like Thursday nights just got even more interesting!

Read this article:
Grey's Anatomy Sparked Major Backlash Over the Confusing 'Station 19' Crossover - countryliving.com

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was born in the middle of the Humanism movement a search for the lost wisdom of the classical age that broke with the rigid schemes of the Middle Ages. It provided an opening and a new vision of the world: man was no longer subdued and debased by life and by the weight of sin but felt, on the contrary, that he could take the reins and guide his destiny. Humanism brought him to the center of the universe, completely reassessing his position and his potential.

This passionate investigation, which began mainly thanks to the studies of Francesco Petrarca (1304 - 1374), also brought the recovery of the hermetic message and with it with the discovery of texts linked to the figure Hermes Trismegistus , the Egyptian Thoth, the ibis - God of wisdom, magic, time measurement, mathematics and geometry, and the inventor of writing. The Latin translation by Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499) of the Corpus Hermeticum , presented to the Medici court in Florence in 1463, spread hermeticism and its religious and occult teachings among scholars; who saw it as a divine revelation reserved for initiates.

Leonardo da Vinci was partly fascinated by secret knowledge and research, but his field was not ancient scrolls and codices, he was an omo sanza lettere (man without literary culture), he did not know Greek or Latin, but was an assiduous reader of the books of nature and texts in Italian vernacular. Like the humanists, Leonardo wanted to rise to the level of the angels through the study of God's creation.

Possible self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci. ( Public Domain )

Leonardo's philosophy is presented in his very personal style of notes in books or sometimes in the form of pensieri (thoughts), i.e. stories that include and conclude with a clear and defined moral that often refers to Plato and Aristotle. However, Da Vinci eschews and does not submit to the fashion of auctoritas (the conception that the statements made by the Scriptures or by an erudite author of clear fame cannot be questioned but accepted for the mere fact of being a revelation of a higher knowledge from a secure and accredited source).

On the contrary, he argues vehemently in the face of the concept of sophisma auctoritatis "Ipse dixit ", (he himself said it). For Da Vinci, a thesis cannot be accepted only by virtue of the authority of the person who presents it, but he asserts and supports the superiority of direct experience, " la sapienza figliuola dellesperienza (wisdom is the child of experience), underlining the influence of Aristotle who taught experience as a methodology of investigation.

Leonardo studied and worked in the era immediately preceding that of Galileo, when science would move away from the supreme principles of Aristotle to establish a method of empirical and scientific investigation that reached the formulation of physical laws. Leonardo was not yet part of it, but he set out on this path through the meticulous study of nature: he cannot be defined as a scientist precisely because his objective is not to go back to physical law through observation and experience, but he nevertheless wished to understand the reasons and motives inherent in nature through reasoning applied to observation, what he called cogitatione mentale (mental reasoning).

Da Vinci's unique position, with one foot in Humanism and one in the Renaissance, offered him unexpected opportunities: from the humanistic riverbed originated the Renaissance of arts, philosophy, literature - following the establishment of the Seignories and the consequent phenomenon of patronage. The Medici in Florence, the Sforza in Milan, the Estensi in Ferrara, the Montefeltro in Romagna, and others, offered the lands they governed the pax (peace) and tranquility necessary to create courts of intellectuals, writers, artists, and architects, whose thoughts and refined atmosphere helped the Renaissance of art in general. In Rome, an opulent Church , eager to impose its own seal on the city, convened Michelangelo, Bramante, and Raffaello Sanzio, who would leave an eternal mark on the city.

The faade of St Peters Basilica with Corinthian columns and inscription. Credit: Ioannis Syrigos

The greatest architects, painters, and sculptors, from Donatello to Brunelleschi, worked in Florence in the Medicis time. It was a period when the great scholars had freedom and decent salaries. In this stimulating environment the Renaissance was generated - a movement of thought and culture that gave birth to a new vision of the world a place where Leonardo belonged. The discovery of perspective, consequent to this new way of observing the world, helped to renew painting and give new possibilities.

The humanistic search for truth and an anxiety for knowledge also permeated the artistic environment of the 15th century: in particular, the so-called "Artistic Anatomy", the investigation of the parts of the human body by dissection in order to acquire a better pictorial technique of the limbs, had spread into the studies of the most famous painters. The Artistic Anatomy came mainly from classical Greece, which needed it for its hyper-realistic sculptures and its search for perfection in proportions: the humanistic wave directly resumed this link with the past and assimilated the study of proportions to the search for the maximum aesthetic result.

Leonardo, at only 14 years of age, began to attend the workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence; serving first as a boy and then as an apprentice. The school of Verrocchio was a real art university and exposed the young Leonardo to an infinite number of techniques: probably he found the first rudiments of artistic anatomy here. But it was only later, around 1480, that Da Vinci personally deepened the study of anatomy as a means to increase his ability as an artist. In 1490 he wrote a letter complaining that he could not have human material for his studies.

Anatomy of a male nude by Leonardo da Vinci. ( Public Domain )

His knowledge increased in later years and oriented his interest to a much deeper level, so that from artistic anatomy he reached real anatomy, particularly from 1507 when he had the opportunity to perform dissections of corpses at the Ospedale di Santa Maria Nuova, in Florence. Three years later, his collaboration with the anatomist Marcantonio Della Torre led to autopsy observations in his Anatomical School in Pavia University between 1508 and 1512, carried out in view of the anatomical work De Figura Humana , which however never saw the light of day due to Della Torre's premature death.

Despite Leonardo's caution and discretion, this type of work and the consequent use of suitable personnel to provide the bodies for the dissections, was noticed. Malicious chatter began to spread about the mysterious occult occupation of master Da Vinci because his work usually took place at night to hide from prying eyes, it was in difficult conditions, and quickly completed because even fresh corpses quickly decayed.

The rumors became insistent and in 1515 Leonardo was accused of necromancy for his anatomical studies on corpses at the Hospital of the Holy Spirit in Rome. The Pope forced him to give up his research.

Da Vinci's research also extended to Physiognomy, the theory that somatic characters are indications of a person's moral and psychic characteristics. This was not a new idea as it was already present in the Pythagorean school, in the teaching of Aristotle and other philosophers, and in the Renaissance when it was also embraced by Michelangelo.

It is a concept without scientific basis that unfortunately reached the 20th century and was used by Nazi SS doctors to justify racial theories, linking the somatic features of Jews to dangerous characteristics such as greed, selfishness, and serious moral deficiencies. In his time, Leonardo deepened some aspects of it, maintaining however a scientific detachment that would bring him to a more objective vision than the painters of the time: he was conv
inced that the eye is the mirror of the soul and that some characteristics of the body can be indicative of inner deformities. However, scientific investigation always acted as a discriminating factor for him.

Study of five grotesque heads by Leonardo Da Vinci. ( Public Domain )

To this end, too, he deepened his studies of grotesque heads, fantastic animals, and even caricature; with the aim of capturing the inner nature of a living being. Although he acknowledged that the human soul can be expressed in facial expressions or in certain characteristics, in the Treatise on Painting he came to the conclusion that: Della fallace fisonomia e chiromanzia non mi estender, perch in esse non verit; e questo si manifesta perch tali chimere non hanno fondamenti scientifici (I will not use the fallacious physiognomy and fortune-telling because in them there is not truth; and this manifests itself because such chimeras have no scientific basis).

In this field, too, Da Vinci was an innovator as he was the first artist to scientifically study the "movements of the soul" and to express the psychology of the subject and his personality through painting.

The intensity and constancy with which Da Vinci pursued his anatomical investigation is a clear indication of a gradual deepening of his interest: it was no longer a question of understanding the forms hidden by the epidermal surface to apply them to painting or sculpture: now he had to understand the reasons, understand the mechanisms that moved the joints, the role of muscles, tendons, and even more the workings of the cardiovascular system, digestion, intestines, internal organs

In the margin of his anatomical drawings, Da Vinci inserted brief notes, forerunners of the modern scientific language, in the typical dry, clear, and rigorous style which would later be defined as Leonardo's prose. Sometimes the feelings of the Genius emerge - the astonishment for the complexity of the human body, which he called maravigliosa macchina (marvelous machine). This admiration for such a work of engineering would lead him to change the objectives of his anatomical investigation, directing them towards a much wider horizon than he could have imagined at the beginning.

A heart. Leonardo da Vinci wanted to know how the body works. ( Public Domain )

His anatomical drawings are actually questions, queries that Leonardo asked himself: How is muscular force applied to bones? How can the skeleton withstand the weight of the whole body? How does the heart work? How does blood spread in the body? These are the questions of a researcher, of a curious man who is eager for knowledge and doesn't find it in books. Therefore had to do the work himself.

In his painting techniques, the first investigations of Leonardo's Artistic Anatomy can be seen in San Girolamo, an unfinished painting in which he demonstrated his full knowledge of the muscles of the shoulders and neck, thanks to dissections and anatomical drawings.

Leonardo Da Vinci, San Girolamo (1480 ca.) (Public Domain ) and in comparison studies of the muscles of shoulder joint and neck. ( Public Domain )

Da Vinci's technique, in addition to drawings, sometimes includes notes and glosses on single sheets that should have been organized, collected, and catalogued in a precise order for proper consultation. However, like many other projects, he was not able to complete this task, burdened with the commitments and journeys necessary to fulfill his duties. This is the reason why his anatomical encyclopedia was not published centuries ahead of future university studies.

The publication of De Anatomia, (Fogli A e B) was to take place only in 1898 by Theodor Sabachnikov, who brought together the drawings from the Windsor collection in the work: Leonardo da Vinci's Manuscripts of the Royal Library of Windsor ( Dell'anatomia, fogli A e B ), Turin, Roux, and Viarengo, 1898.

This method of dissection subverts the methods of the time, which presupposed treatises on anatomy with few illustrations and a lot of text. The text was read and commented on by the teacher in the Anatomical Room while the dissector worked materially on the corpse and the various parts were indicated by the doctor with a long wand. Leonardo recognized the great possibility of pictures to illustrate and teach, highlighting details and clarifying concepts.

Da Vinci is also innovative in this field because he often used the technique of exploded drawing. Once the dissection was completed (from the Latin dissect, dis = separation, secare = cut), that is the cut of the limb or of the internal organ, he recomposed it through exploded drawing: this technique highlights not only Leonardo's questions concerning anatomy, but above all those concerning the reasons why the human body is made in this way and works with these organs.

Over time Leonardo's questions became more important and pressing; particularly when he began to study the reproductive apparatuses of men and women and finally arrived at Pathological Anatomy when he approached disturbing questions about changes in the human body due to age, and performed real autopsies in search of the causes of death. And from these he reached the SECRETUM, the biggest questions on death, on life, on the origin of it, with drawings of the human fetus already formed in the vicinity of childbirth.

Studies of the fetus in the womb by Da Vinci. ( Public Domain )

What is the spark of life? Where does the soul have its seat? These are recurrent questions in Leonardo's investigation and follow lines not far from the thought of the humanist Marsilio Ficino. Soul, mind, and quintessence coincide and are located in the brain.

Renaissance philosophy is uncertain about the physical position of the soul in the human body, recognizing a possible probability to the heart and/or brain: Da Vinci deepened the concept of the moti dellanima (soul motions), or emotions, always linked to the heart - but in the course of his dissections he realized that while the heart is an extraordinary machine, it is simply a pump.

During his experiments he learned that the optical nerves carry the images to a specific part of the brain, then following other bundles of nerves he reached the site of impressions and emotions, to finally arrive at the ventricolo centrale (central ventricle) which he saw as the site of the human soul il senso comune " (common sense), and where the memory and personality of the individual is also located.

Ultimately we can say that Leonardo believed, as a transcendent philosopher, in a God-creator, and thought that the painter or artist generally creates in the image of God, being an emanation of Him. He affirmed the idea of the existence of a soul that yearns to return to the Father and all his anatomical investigation can be defined as the Anatomy of the Soul because he wanted to use it to find answers to the most disturbing questions, such as the search for the mystery of the spark of life.

In this sense, the issue of the search for the golden proportion that the Renaissance and Da Vinci studied from Phidias and Fibonacci, should include the so called Signature of God. However, Leonardo approached these themes according to his personal vision as an ante litteram scientist, combining metaphysical research with scientific investigation, anticipating Cesare Lombroso's research four centuries later.

In his research Leonardo studied the divine proportion, a geometry inherent in creation that characterizes beauty and harmony. The human body is one of the most evident representations of this and Leonardo highlights it with the Vitruvian Man and by illustrating the De Divina Proportione (1509), a text by the mathematician Luca Pacioli on the golden ratio, a necessarily approximate number that corresponds to 1.618034.

Leonardo Da Vinci, L'Uomo Vitruviano (Vitruvian Man), originally known as Le proporzioni del corpo umano secondo Vitruvio, (The proportions of the human body according to Vit
ruvius), c. 1490. ( Pixabay License )

Closely linked to the Fibonacci sequence, also known as Phidias constant, it is the number that expresses the golden or divine relationship that Greek architects regularly used in their constructions: they were able to divide any line into two segments so that the entire line was about 1.618034 times longer than the longest segment, and the longest segment was about 1.618034 longer than the shortest segment. This proportion was also respected in the statues, where the forearm was in the entire arm to the extent of 1.618034, and so on for all parts of the body and face.

Classical Greece knew that in nature the golden number is continually reappearing; for example in the spirals of growth of sunflower seeds, in the elegant geometries of the Roman cabbage, in the form of a spiral or in other figures such as the lower section of the waves of the sea that form the golden spirals. The Renaissance rediscovered the harmony of the golden number and applied it to painting, identifying the so-called "Signature of God" - the secret of beauty and harmony as a sign of the Creator's hand, as believed by the mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci who had studied it in the 13th century.

Top Image: Leonardo da Vinci portrait and anatomical sketches. Source: klss777 / Adobe Stock

By Pierluigi Tombetti

Pierluigi Tombetti is the author of the recently published SECRETUM - Il Codice L (SECRETUM The L Code), researched from the documents concerning Leonardo Da Vinci's trip to Romagna to the service of Cesare Borgia (1502), it is an extraordinary thriller that winds between the present and the past in search of the mysterious SECRETUM. The most interesting and instructive way to get closer to the secret studies of Leonardo and his Anatomy of the Soul. Completely based on accurate historical data.

Capra Fritjof L'anima di Leonardo: Un genio alla ricerca del segreto della vita (I sestanti), Rizzoli, 2012

Da Vinci Leonardo, I manoscritti di Leonardo da Vinci della reale biblioteca di Windsor (Dell'anatomia, fogli A e B) riuniti daTheodor Sabachnikov), Torino, Roux e Viarengo, 1898. Il testo B si pu liberamente consultare online al link: https://archive.org/stream/imanoscrittidile00leon#page/3/mode/2up

OMalley Charles Donald, de Cusance Morant Saunders John Bertrand, Leonardo da Vinci on the Human Body, New York: Henry Shuman, 1952.

Keele K.D. Leonardo da Vincis Anatomical Drawings at Windsor, New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1984

Hilary Gilson, Leonardo da Vincis Embryological Drawings of the Fetus, Embryo Project Encyclopedia (2008-08-19). ISSN: 1940-5030 http://embryo.asu.edu/handle/10776/1929

Jaspers Karl, Leonardo filosofo, Abscondita, 2001

Luporini Cesare - La mente di Leonardo, Le Lettere, 1997

Marinoni Augusto, The sublimations of Leonardo da Vinci, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington 1970

Mingazzini Paolo., et al. I Segreti del Corpo - Disegni Anatomici di Leonardo da Vinci, Anthelios Ed. Milano 2008

Pedretti Carlo, Leonardo. Ed. Mondadori, Milano 2008

Tombett, Pierluigi, SECRETUM IlCodice L , Eremon Edizioni, 2019

Valery Paul, Introduction to the Method of Leonardo Da Vinci, J. Rodker, 1929

Vasari Giorgio, Vite dei pi eccellenti pittori, scultori ed archi tettori, Firenze, 1568

Video Conference - Leonardo e Lanatomia dellanima, Davide Monda, Pierluigi Tombetti, Cesenatico, Museo della Marineria, 2019 al link https://youtu.be/kUJ-qf_itPg

Go here to see the original:
Secretum: Leonardo Da Vinci and the Anatomy of the Soul - Ancient Origins