Dr. Wayne Kalayjian

Join structural engineer Wayne Kalayjian, author of Saving Michelangelo’s Dome, for a fascinating discussion on Renaissance art, Enlightenment thinking, and the birth of modern engineering practice.

In 1742, when the legendary dome atop St. Peter’s Basilica—designed by artist and architect Michelangelo—cracks and threatens to collapse, its fate is left in the hands of Pope Benedict XIV and three mathematicians. How did their revolutionary (and controversial) use of science and mathematics lead to the birth of engineering as we practice it now? What were their pioneering ideas? How has the profession of engineering shaped our modern society?

As part of the story, we will discover and discuss some the great cultural movements of our times: the Renaissance, Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment, and the Industrial Revolution; along with the key personalities of their day—some famous, others little-known—like Michelangelo, Domenico Fontana, Pope Benedict XIV, Galileo, Isaac Newton, and Robert Hooke.