Arash, I am quite shocked by your reply http://imechanica.org/node/3045#comment-7151.  First you say "with all the due respect", then you say "trivial history".  But you prudently say "maybe I miss the point".  Maybe useful to clarify, also because probably iMechanica should start a discussion about history of mechanics starting a little earlier than this century. How can we judge Leonardo da Vinci? He has no published papers, no citation, no index, no Nobel prize... Not even a Timoshenko medal!  Maybe we should give him one post-mortem?    Please see the attachment.  Watch also the videos:

Leonardo da Vinci - the Ultimate Scientist/Artist http://youtube.com/watch?v=15zMLtqxwDQ

Leonardo Da Vinci - Universal Genius http://youtube.com/watch?v=Pir_H7kf_JU&feature=related AMAZING FLYING MACHINE AT WORK!

  (the man who wanted to know everything.... !)  born ilegitimate, he was banned from latin and greek, the language of the books, he was poorly educated! the first modern mind in history. Because he never attended schools, he started being secretive writing from right to left.

Mona Lisa Leonardo da Vinci Louvre http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPee7biTPCU&NR=1

Leonardo Da Vinci http://youtube.com/watch?v=4sPnt5-HUDk&feature=related