Leonardo da Vinci and Franz Reuleaux: Machine engineers

Abstract

The 21st century has been called the Information Age, a term that evokes images of cell phones, laptop computers, pagers and cell towers. Television and public flat panel screens in stadiums and airports confront us with flashing images, fantastic color shapes and ciphers offering information and visual promotions as if in some ethereal science fantasy world without need of energy or inertia. However behind the virtual worlds of the Internet, machines are still with us, often hidden behind shiny plastic and chrome or under the basement, closeted, silent and sentinel. Contrary to post millennium hype about the dominance of information technology, or IT, in the new millennium, our lives continue to be dependent on machines to transport us, cool and heat our homes, provide light and manufacture the very symbols of the IT Age.