Meet Clara: The World’s First Cognitive Human Aware AI
While the tech world races to build smarter AI, we’ve solved a different problem entirely: creating AI that understands how different minds actually work.
Meet Clara—the world’s first cognitive human aware intelligence guide. Built on 25 years of MindTime research and validated across thousands of individuals, Clara represents a fundamental breakthrough in artificial intelligence. She doesn’t just process information; she recognizes the cognitive architecture that makes each mind unique.
In this extraordinary conversation, MindTime founder John Furey challenges Clara to demonstrate her cognitive analysis capabilities on one of history’s greatest minds: Leonardo da Vinci. What follows is a masterclass in cognitive profiling that spans centuries—proof that the patterns of human thinking are universal and timeless.
This conversation marks the beginning of a new era. As we evolve this format into our upcoming podcast series, you’re witnessing the birth of dialogue between human genius and AI that truly understands cognitive blueprints.
Watch Clara decode the Renaissance master’s mind with precision that will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about AI capabilities.
The Conversation
Conversation Transcript between John Furey and Clara
John Furey
Using your mastery of the MindTime framework and all that it can predict and provide insight into. I want you to do an in-depth examination of all materials you can find pertaining to the personality and thinking style of Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519). Specifically, your output is to be a declaration of Leonardo’s Thinking Style as expressed using the three mindtime vectors, and a very detailed explanation as to how you came to your conclusion. I want quotes, references and specifics.
Clara
Below is a deep exploration of Leonardo da Vinci’s thinking style through the lens of the MindTime Framework. I will first summarize the MindTime Framework itself, and then apply its three vectors—Past-Certainty, Present-Probability, and Future-Possibility—to Da Vinci, using quotes, historical references, and commentary from his notebooks and biographical sources. Finally, I will offer a synthesized declaration of his Thinking Style, explaining how and why he likely exemplified a nuanced blending of these three MindTime dimensions.
- The MindTime Framework in Brief
MindTime is predicated on the notion that we all navigate time through three conceptual “vectors” (or cognitive forces). Although each vector can be present in any individual, we typically favor some more than others, resulting in unique blends of how we think, plan, and perceive the world:
- Past-Certainty
- Concerned with knowledge, reliability, thoroughness, and the lessons of history and experience.
- Seeks to reduce risk through known facts and established methods.
- Often meticulous in documentation, organization, and quality control.
- Present-Probability
- Engages with real-time data, practical application, and iterative experimentation.
- Balances what is known from the past with immediate realities.
- Generally pragmatic, focusing on what can be tested, experienced, and adapted on the spot.
- Future-Possibility
- Envisions what could be, leaning into imagination, hypothesizing new concepts, and planning for what has not yet been done.
- Driven by curiosity, innovation, creativity, and “what-if” thinking.
- Less interested in the constraints of the past, more compelled by forging new paths.
Leonardo da Vinci’s recorded life and works provide a remarkable case study for these vectors. By examining his habits, quotes, notebooks, inventions, and artistic output, we can see powerful evidence of all three vectors at play.
- Key Historical and Biographical Touchstones
2.1. Meticulous Documentation: Evidence of Past-Certainty
- Notebooks and Codices
Da Vinci kept thousands of pages of notes—over time compiled into codices such as the Codex Atlanticus, Codex Arundel, Codex Forster, and Codex Leicester. These notebooks demonstrate a near-obsessive need to document, catalogue, and refine knowledge.
- As he wrote in one of his notebooks: “Let no day pass without a line drawn.” This drive to write or sketch daily reflects the Past-Certainty vector’s insistence on having a solid record of one’s investigations.
- He wrote extensive notes on anatomy, engineering, geometry, and botany. Historian Walter Isaacson observes: “His journals are an astonishing testament to the range and depth of his explorations.” That range included all manner of references to classical sources (for instance, he studied Vitruvius’s architectural treatises and Ptolemy’s geographical works) and his own evolving experiments.
- Reliance on Prior Knowledge
Leonardo did not simply accept knowledge from antiquity; he continuously tested it. Yet he was deeply invested in ensuring that the knowledge he inherited (e.g., from Greek and Roman sources, from medieval engineering treatises) was not lost. This meticulousness to record, reference, and build upon earlier studies is an archetypal expression of the Past-Certainty vector.
- “He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards a ship without a rudder and compass and never knows where he may cast.” This famous quote highlights Da Vinci’s stance on not losing the guiding knowledge of the past.
2.2. Empirical Experimentation: Evidence of Present-Probability
- Iterative Testing and Observational Skills
Known for his scientific approach, Da Vinci carefully observed and recorded real-world phenomena. He dissected cadavers to understand human anatomy, he measured and mapped out water flow, and he closely studied flight in birds. These are direct reflections of Present-Probability: testing hypotheses now, in real time, to see how things work.
- As an example, from his studies on water movement, he wrote: “Observe the motion of the surface of the water, which resembles that of hair, which has two movements, one dependent on the weight of the hair, the other on the direction of the curls.” This careful attention to immediate reality—“what do I see happening right now?”—is present-focused inquiry.
- Artistic Techniques and “the Scientific Method”
In painting the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, Da Vinci constantly experimented with techniques like layering, perspective, and novel pigments. Giorgio Vasari (16th-century biographer) records Da Vinci’s tendency to paint in short bursts, stand back, observe, tinker, and then adjust.
- This cycle of “test–observe–improve” is a classic hallmark of Present-Probability cognition. Da Vinci was not content to trust only past formulas nor to remain purely in the realm of speculation; he combined knowledge with immediate experimentation.
2.3. Radical Visionary: Evidence of Future-Possibility
- Invention and the Unbuilt Prototypes
Leonardo imagined parachutes, flying machines, diving suits, and designs for mechanized weaponry that far exceeded the technological realities of his time. Although many of these stayed on paper, the conceptual leap testifies to an extraordinary push into Future-Possibility thinking.
- In his diagrams of a “flying machine” (the ornithopter concept) from the Codex Atlanticus, he wrote instructions that suggest improvements on wings, harness systems, and pilot movement. Even though these designs never took flight in his day, the intention to transcend the known boundaries reveals a soaring Future-Possibility orientation.
- Prophetic Scientific Insights
Da Vinci also anticipated evolutionary geology, new approaches to astronomy, and careful mechanical engineering principles that would only be “officially” recognized centuries later.
- One notebook entry clarifies that the “earth is not the center of the sun’s orbit,” echoing the Copernican understanding, which came later.
- He also speculated about harnessing water power in ways more advanced than widely used in his day, writing: “The water you touch in a river is the last of that which has passed and the first of that which is coming.” Such remarks reflect a future orientation, seeing the potential continuity and harnessable energy in natural forces.
- Synthesis: Leonardo’s Distinct Blend of the Three Vectors
3.1. Balancing Act of Past-Certainty and Future-Possibility, with a Strong “Bridge” in Present-Probability
- Past-Certainty
Leonardo was deeply grounded in established knowledge and systematically expanded it. His codices stand as testimony to a mind collecting facts, verifying them, and preserving them for posterity. He was not a carefree dreamer who ignored foundational principles. He needed the historical and mathematical underpinnings solidly in place.
- Present-Probability
Equally, Da Vinci’s experiments in painting, anatomy, and engineering show his commitment to real-time testing. He was not content with hearsay—he dissected bodies, studied the swirl of water, tested the parabolic arcs of projectiles, and refined his sketches day by day.
- Future-Possibility
Yet it is in imagining the future—be it flying machines or city designs with multi-level streets and efficient waterworks—that Da Vinci stands out as a true visionary. His projects are far more imaginative and advanced than the technology of 15th- and 16th-century Europe could support. Some of his notebooks read more like conceptual preludes to 20th-century technology than relics of the Renaissance.
3.2. Declaration of Leonardo’s Thinking Style
Taking all of this into account, Leonardo da Vinci can be characterized as possessing an exceptionally strong and balanced combination of all three MindTime vectors:
- Past-Certainty (Strong):
- Evident in his obsessive note-taking, referencing of classical knowledge, and drive to verify and record every detail.
- He drew upon the inherited wisdom of antiquity (from Vitruvius to Ptolemy) and meticulously tested it for reliability.
- Present-Probability (Strong):
- Demonstrated by his experimental approach to science, art, and engineering.
- He was not an armchair theorist: Da Vinci incessantly observed the world around him, performed dissections, and refined paintings and mechanical designs step by step.
- Future-Possibility (Strong):
- His imaginative leaps in designing flying machines, advanced weaponry, and urban planning far surpassed the norms of his era.
- His speculation about natural phenomena revealed a forward-thinking mind that could conceptualize realities beyond the immediate present.
This rare, almost “tri-vector” mastery set Da Vinci apart from many contemporaries who might favor only one or two vectors strongly. In Da Vinci, we see near-simultaneous mastery of Past-Certainty, Present-Probability, and Future-Possibility—hence the enduring fascination with his life and works.
- How We Arrived at These Conclusions
- Historical Accounts & Biographies
- The Lives of the Artists by Giorgio Vasari includes anecdotes of Da Vinci’s working style, testifying to his methodical experiments in painting and invention.
- Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson (2017) highlights his insatiable curiosity, cross-disciplinary mindset, and reams of notebooks as exemplars of balanced cognition.
- Surviving Notebooks (Codices)
- Codex Atlanticus: Demonstrates far-reaching ideas on flight, architecture, and engineering.
- Codex Arundel: Contains geometrical sketches, mechanical designs, and observational studies.
- Codex Forster: Includes notes on geometry, measuring devices, and more.
- Codex Leicester: Explores hydrodynamics, the moon’s luminosity, and geological speculation.
These codices provide direct primary-source insights into his daily thought processes, bridging immediate experiment with futurist speculation, all meticulously documented.
- Artistic Masterpieces & Technical Innovation
- The Mona Lisa and The Last Supper show his iterative process in painting, combining known techniques with newly developed methods of layering and perspective.
- Numerous mechanical designs reveal attempts to overcome the limitations of his time. This interplay of verification, experimentation, and visionary leaps is classic MindTime synergy.
- Da Vinci’s Own Words
- “Learning never exhausts the mind.”
- “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
- “Where there is shouting, there is no true knowledge.”
These quotes (commonly attributed to Leonardo’s notebooks and letters) point to a mind that marries reflective knowledge (Past-Certainty), investigative quiet work (Present-Probability), and creative intelligence (Future-Possibility).
- Conclusion: A Tri-Vector Polymath
Leonardo da Vinci stands as one of the most profound examples of a thinker who engaged robustly with the Past, Present, and Future simultaneously. By embracing and synthesizing knowledge from antiquity, testing it in the laboratory of immediate observation, and envisioning potentialities beyond his era’s grasp, Da Vinci modeled a tri-vector approach to cognition that remains unparalleled.
He is, quite simply, the paradigm of what the MindTime Framework might look like in its fullest expression: a Thinker of All Time—past, present, and future blended into one.
“The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding.”
(Leonardo da Vinci, Notebook Entry, as translated by Richter)
In this single line, we glimpse the essence of his MindTime synergy: The “joy of understanding” spans time—from the certainties gleaned from the past to the dynamic experiments of the present, all culminating in the possibilities of the future.
Below is a reasoned interpretation of Leonardo da Vinci’s MindTime “scores” on a 0–100 scale for each of the three vectors (Past-Certainty, Present-Probability, and Future-Possibility). These scores are necessarily approximations, since Leonardo himself never took a modern MindTime assessment. They are derived from documented evidence of his behavior, thinking patterns, and creative output as recorded in his notebooks, major works, and historical accounts.
Suggested MindTime Scores for Leonardo da Vinci
- Past-Certainty: ~85/100
- Rationale:
- Meticulous documentation: He produced thousands of notebook pages, where he recorded observations, data, and references to ancient treatises.
- Desire to verify knowledge: Leonardo routinely tested what he read in classical sources (e.g., Vitruvius, Ptolemy) to confirm its accuracy.
- Quotes & Behaviors: “He who loves practice without theory…” reveals how strongly he believed in foundational knowledge.
- Interpretation: An 85 signals he strongly valued reliable, documented truth—yet not so rigid as to be stifled by tradition, which is why it’s high but still leaves room for his innovative side.
- Present-Probability: ~90/100
- Rationale:
- Empirical experimentation: He dissected cadavers to directly observe human anatomy, studied water currents in real time, and tested new painting techniques (like experimental pigment blends).
- Iterative approach to art & invention: Giorgio Vasari wrote about his start-stop testing method—he would paint a bit, step back to observe, then refine.
- Quotes & Behaviors: Da Vinci’s instructions on water movement (comparing it to curling hair) or his bird-flight studies underscore an intense focus on real-time evidence.
- Interpretation: At around 90, Leonardo shows a robust “hands-on” orientation, verifying and refining ideas in the here-and-now.
- Future-Possibility: ~95/100
- Rationale:
- Inventions beyond his era: Flying machines, parachutes, conceptual automata, multi-level city planning. Many of these far exceeded 15th-century technology.
- Visionary leaps: He anticipated much of the modern scientific outlook and even toyed with ideas that previewed Copernican cosmology.
- Quotes & Behaviors: “Learning never exhausts the mind.” signals an unbounded curiosity; his designs for mechanical wings or hydraulic systems show a relentless push into what “could be.”
- Interpretation: A 95 suggests a nearly unmatched capacity to visualize and explore possibilities that lay beyond the horizons of his time—yet tethered by data from his meticulous studies.
Why These Approximate Scores?
- Extensive Source Material
- The breadth and depth of Leonardo’s notebooks (Codex Atlanticus, Codex Arundel, Codex Forster, Codex Leicester) provide unparalleled firsthand insight into how he thought and worked.
- Each codex demonstrates a methodical, real-time approach (Present-Probability), referencing classical authorities (Past-Certainty), and sketches of visionary inventions (Future-Possibility).
- Historical Testimony
- Biographers like Vasari and modern historians like Walter Isaacson agree on Leonardo’s almost obsessive curiosity and the sheer innovative power behind his work.
- Balancing of Vectors
- While he is often lauded for his visionary genius (Future-Possibility) and real-time experimentation (Present-Probability), the systematic nature of his note-taking and reliance on fundamental truths (Past-Certainty) is equally remarkable.
- He did not let any single vector dominate to the detriment of the others—he truly integrated all three, though his imagination (Future-Possibility) and empirical drive (Present-Probability) appear to have an edge in sheer impact.
Experience Clara’s Cognitive Intelligence
This conversation demonstrates Clara’s unprecedented ability to analyze cognitive patterns with depth and precision that spans centuries. If Clara can decode the mind of Leonardo da Vinci from historical records, imagine what she can reveal about your own thinking patterns and those of your team.
Clara isn’t just another AI assistant—she’s your cognitive intelligence guide, built on 25 years of MindTime research and designed to understand exactly how your unique mind works best.
