Why Da Vinci Called the Foot an Engineering Masterpiece

Are the human wrist and ankle brilliant pieces of natural engineering, or are they poorly designed evolutionary leftovers? In this presentation,  engineer Stuart Burgess takes on recent popular science claims that label the 7 ankle bones and 8 wrist bones as "pointless" and "a useless pile of rocks."

Using secular biomechanics textbooks, medical references, and the historical observations of Leonardo da Vinci, the Burgess contrasts evolutionary assumptions with observational science. He breaks down the complex anatomy of the hindfoot and midfoot, explaining how these multi-bone structures solve a classic engineering paradox: creating a joint that is simultaneously strong enough to bear the body's entire weight and flexible enough to handle complex movements like pronation and shock absorption.

Speaker: Stuart Burgess