Every day is a surprise. As a freshman, I never imagined that I would be taking a class where I read physical copies of books that existed centuries ago. I have a copy of Vitruvius Pollio’s 1522 edition of Vitruvii De Architecture libri decem. It’s been 502 years since this book was published, and there are thousands more records in its pages. I run my fingertips across the book, slightly larger than the palm of my hand, and the old pages smeared with dirt, oil, and dust.
Title page of “Virtuvii De Architectura libri decem” currently in the Rubenstein Library
Although written in a language my modern English mind cannot understand, the book seems to whisper stories and secrets embedded within its pages. Alongside studying these texts, we learn how the greats conducted their research in the centuries before us. Leonardo da Vinci once studied this same book (albeit with different literal copies of the book) and applied Vitruvian proportionality theory to the study of the human body. His meticulous research led him to create the “Vitruvian Man”, which combined both art and science to investigate the natural world.
So, just as Leonardo studied the world before him and around him, we find ourselves doing the same today. We study the history of curiosity, thought, and discovery that constitute the pinnacle of human pursuits, and we explore the lives of emotions, nature, technology, and behavior that guide and transform our every day.
As part of the Duke Research Blog team, I want to share ongoing research that is relevant and relevant to our readers. I ask myself what information I can share to help my readers better understand the choices, actions, people, and things that surround their lives. From community initiatives to groundbreaking research to hidden stories waiting to be uncovered, there’s always something new to learn and share. I want to highlight these unique stories and bring awareness to the causes and influences that define our community.
My favorite piece from VMFA is Anselm Kiefer’s “Winged Landscape.”
As I begin this journey, I would like to first share my story. I’m originally from Richmond, Virginia and lived there for 16 years. My perfect day would involve spending time at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) and the local 2nd & Charles bookstore. I am keeping my major options open and turning my interests to pursuing health and bioethics policy. Specifically, we want to improve the way we understand and define ‘illness’, whether physical or mental. I believe that our current health care system does not provide treatments that maximize patient health and often promotes treatments that cause more harm than good.
Just as I aim to help patients understand their options in healthcare, I want to help people better understand the research that impacts their lives. . Through my work, I hope to share useful and useful insights into the future research being done around us. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next. I look forward to seeing what we discover together.
Monona Zhou, Class of 2028
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