What Da Vinci Saw Inside the Human Heart

Modern scans reveal a forgotten insight

View in Browser  DIGITAL ISSUES GEAR REVIEWS SUBSCRIBE The Story We Can't Stop Thinking About  A Leonardo mystery, solved. Leonardo da Vinci noticed the heart’s strange, web-like interior 500 years ago, but couldn’t explain it. Now, researchers finally can. By combining MRI scans, genetics, and fractal analysis, scientists found that these branching structures that Leonardo drew help regulate how the heart pumps, and may even shape a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease. It’s one of those discoveries that quietly rewrites something fundamental: the heart wasn’t just built that way. It works that way. —Andrew Daniels, Director of News Leonardo da Vinci’s Notes May Have Solved a Heart Mystery The inventor sketched intricate muscular structures half a millennium ago. Turns out he was on to something. Read More A Dangerous Ocean Drifter Is Spreading to New Waters This notorious species may be able to survive further north, which can be hazardous to swimmers and the ecosystem. Read More Scientists Are Testing the Brain With a New Kind of Scanner Imagine locating your consciousness like an airport metal detector finds the keys stashed in your pocket. Read More GEAR REPORT Why Electric Mowers Are Finally Replacing Gas Most homeowners cutting front and back yards will get plenty of power and runtime from a battery mower. Read More A Classic Flashlight, Reinvented for Today Plus, it has all the heft and reliability that we’ve come to expect from the brand. Read More The Engine Was Still Running—But the Crew Was Gone The three sailors aboard the Kaz II set sail on the morning of April 15, 2007, for a weeks-long trip. They didn’t make it through the first day. Read More Need Assistance? Contact Us. Follow Us Unsubscribe | Manage Preferences | Privacy Notice | CA Notice at Collection Popular Mechanics is a publication of Hearst Magazines. ©2026 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent by Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-3779