Bill Gates and learning from Leonardo da Vinci

What inspires a billionaire?

In the case of Bill Gates, it’s a 500-year-old manuscript penned by Italian genius Leonardo da Vinci.

He’s actually trying to understand turbulence.

How you build a dam, does it erode away?"

Da Vinci’s ideas were futuristic.

Gates' may be realized much sooner.

Gates hasinvested in a nuclear reactorthat would burn depleted uranium.

This story originally appeared at CBSNews.com under the headline “What inspires Bill Gates?”