By: Blake

The body worlds exhibit is both intriguing and a bit creepy at the same time. Just knowing that the bodies in the exhibit are real is enough to weird just about anyone out, but if you can get past your weak stomach you will start to realize just how amazing the displays are. The hours put into this unique form of art are tremendous, but the rewards can be great. The exhibit offers a tons of information about the body. Whether you are an anatomy student or just curious, you will find that the experience is one that is not easily forgotten.

I went to an exhibit in Mosi (museum of science and industry) where the main theme was the heart. As I entered the sound of a heart was mildly pulsing. We came to the first display which was, you guessed it, a heart and all arteries in the body. While here we were approached by a gentleman that told us that all of the displays were made from real bodies except for a few glass eyeballs and that they had gone through a process called plastination. As we moved deeper into the exhibit the sound of the pulsing heart faded and we came to one of the full body displays. It was a man jumping a hurdle. The body was skinned which revealed all of the muscles and tendons. It is easy to see how this exhibit could benefit anyone in the medical profession. As we moved on we found that the poses that the bodies were in became more elaborate. One was a gymnast doing a back bend on a balance beam!

Human bodies aren’t the only thing on display. There was also a camel that had its head and neck cut in to three thick slices. Its head was positioned as if it were bending down to take a bite to eat with each piece of neck reaching down a little further than the last. Of course the camel was opened up so that you can see its organs and in its stomach, it had some grass in its stomach. Apparently the three headed camel was a mother because it had a baby camel following it, also dissected.

If you are or know a smoker then you should visit the exhibit. There was a section that had a set of lungs from a smoker and a nonsmoker. Needless to say the smoker’s lungs were black and ridden with emphysema. After this section there was a place to fill out a card that vows you to stop smoking. There is also a section that shows the dangers of obesity. A slab of fat from a 300 lb person is on the table that shows how thick the fat is and what it does to the organs. Just after the fat guy exhibit is a short video of plaque build up in an artery and the effects if the buildup gets too severe.

This is just a glimpse of what I saw at the body worlds exhibit. I wouldn’t recommend bringing small children, but I did see some there. Overall I had a great experience. The way the bodies were displayed was amazing and I learned a thing or two about the human body. If you ever get the chance, go see an exhibit. Seeing some pictures online just doesn’t compare to actually being there. Who knows, you might want to donate your body and become an immortal piece of art in body worlds.