Body Worlds 2

Yesterday I went to the Body Worlds 2 exhibit. You can check out more information here: http://www.bodyworlds.com/index.html

Even though I went to the first exhibit, I still spent about three and a half hours at the second one! I love anatomy. Yes, you can see whole bodies "filleted" for our better knowledge of anatomy, but there's also this sense of achievement and awareness.

From the quotes on the screens, you can see how people throughout time viewed death and functions of the human body. When scientists first started doing dissections, people did not have a very long life expectancy. Imagine how long it took you to get through your undergraduate and post graduate studies. Now, imagine how long you'd want these studies to take if you knew you'd only live to 35 years of age. Thinking about that gave me a new perspective on learning and my passions.

On another note, I realized how conservative we are about bodies today. There were people giggling about testicles and breasts, but it was also nice to see families bringing younger children to the exhibit. Some people were disgusted to see parts of the body that digest food. Yes, beauty is only skin deep...for most people. I think the human body is simultaneously gorgeous, disgusting, complex, and also not as functionally sound as most animals. There was one part of the exhibit that showed what being obese does to the body. If more people saw this, I believe we'd all demand better food and health care. Perhaps McDonald's would go out of business? I can hope...

The pervert in me admired the way bodies were precariously suspended and planted to be viewed in the round. I enjoyed contemplating the arrangement of wires and ropes which allowed the bodies to be so exposed for viewing. For those who think being naked and exposed is the ultimate form of humiliation, think about donating your body to be plasticized. Not only will you be immortalized, but your body could be seen by millions. Yes, I entertain the fantasy of a slave being inspired by this blog, and donating his or her body for the betterment of science:)