Yesterday I went to the Montreal Science Center to see the "Bodyworlds 2" exhibit. It's one that shows a number of real human bodies (dead, of course!) that have had their skin removed so you can see all the stuff you usually only see in a biology course or if you watch "Operation" (if that's even on anymore). The bodies have been "plastinated," a patented process by which the body is actually turned into a plastic-like substance, looking sort of like those models of the body from that biology course. It was amazingly impressive. There must have been a dozen or more whole bodies and then a whole lot of body parts on display. AMAZING. My Best of Show piece was the circulation system in the hand and arm. That's all. No skin, nerves, bones, muscles. Just the whole venous/arterial system from just below the elbow to the fingertips, suspended in a clear liquid and lit from below (or above?). Beautiful, simply or rather, complexly (if there is such a word) stunning. If it hasn't already passed through your nearest metropolis and it comes there, GO TO IT. I was so glad I had. Here's the link to the Science Center's info on it: http://www.centredessciencesdemontreal.com/BW2/en/index.html. (It looks like I can't put a live link here, probably because of copyright and patent limitations.)
I don't think I could say the word amazing too often to describe it. As for the controversy that the exhibit apparently engendered in some of the cities it visited, with conservatives arguing that it disrespected the body, I can say with absolute certainty that I came out if the exhibit with more respect than ever for the beauty and complexity of the human. Period.
Wow.
2 comments:
I've come to understand that the bodies used were unclaimed bodies from China. Jane/John Doe types that had died and went unclaimed by family after all efforts had been exhausted. Hey - more to learn from. I've see the exhibit as well and - - - WOW - - - is all I can say. So cool!
Auntie, when are you going to blog again?
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