My parents were in town today and we went to Body Worlds at the Science Museum of Minnesota. It was incredible. I've never been very smart in science but what little I understand fascinates me. The exhibit is actual human bodies that have been preserved and cut open so you can see the insides. Here's how the museum's site describes it:The exhibition features about 200 authentic human specimens, including entire bodies, individual organs and transparent body slices that have been preserved through the process of Plastination, a technique that replaces bodily fluids and fat with reactive plastics.The smokers' lungs, uggh. If that doesn't scare you off smoking, I don't know what would. The last item in the collection is of a person on a horse. You can see the muscles and internal organs of the person and the horse. The horse's big, exposed lung was nice and white while the person's lung was much more on the grey/black side. I overhead someone say, "Looks like the person was a smoker but the horse wasn't."
I could pretty much forget that all of the pieces and whole bodies were at one time live human beings. And if I happened to remember that they were once living, I'd make myself think that the bodies were those of old people who died after long, happy lives. This didn't work when I got to the baby room. There are plasticine babies at various stages of development. It was at once fascinating and incredibly sad. They were all once alive. There's a pregnant woman in the room too. You can see her insides, inlcluding the developing baby. It was incredibly sad because you know that she and the baby, along with the rest of the babies in the room, met too early ends.
One of the coolest items was a model of all the blood vessels in the skull. You could tell it was a skull by the shape, ear outlines, etc. There are millions of little vessels and capilleries and what have you. No wonder even the tiniest head or facial injury is so bloody.
More info about the exhibit here.
7 comments:
Bodyworlds is uber fantastic, especially for anatomy geeks such as myself. The many vessel exhibits were my favorites. Absolutely unbelievable.
We, too, were amazed at all the black lungs. I'd have to go back and count, but it seemed EVERY cadaver had them.
As for the baby room, it was entirely fascinating but annoyed the heck out of me. Did you notice it was the ONLY place where there was a purposeful theatrical air of mourning - black cloth draped everywhere and maudlin music playing? I felt it was terribly manipulative and we should have been left to feel our own feelings, not have them pushed on us.
Anyhow, now that it's staying longer, I hope to go view the exhibit again.
The ambience in the baby room didn't really register with me. But does now, now that you mention it. I did appreciate it being separated. Some people might have been really freaked out by it.
Everyone was so quiet throughout the exhibit. It was as if everyone was being really reverent. It was very different to be among so many people and not have it loud.
The baby area didn't creep me out but it was fascinating. My friend has had two boys both born at 27 weeks so seeing the baby at 24 weeks was eerie.
I, too, am glad they are extending it. i want to go again and spend some extra time.
I've seen the exhibition several years ago in Mannheim. We were early that morning but other people had to wait for hours to get in.
I remember that I was fascinated and that I had to remind myself all the time that these were human beings.
But I would never give my own body for a project like that. Would you?
"If that doesn't scare you off smoking, I don't know what would."
That's what we thought, too, which is why the American Lung Association of Minnesota is a promotional partner for the Body Worlds exhibit.
When I was there I thought it would be cool to donate my body to the project. It's intriguing because it's educational and it is anonymous. Everything seems to be done reverently. Now I'm not quite so sure. I certainly wouldn't donate my body to a medical school. I've heard a few cadaver stories from medical students.
Hey Moe! Thanks for stopping by Sophzilla. I thought that was you. :)
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