Bodies Exhibit - What do you think? Interesting or Not?

I recently saw the Bodies Exhibit in Hartford CT ( up until march, for those who still want to go see it)

And though it was probably the most interesting/shocking (and... to me... very private exhibit) i have ever seen. I found it very odd to be looking at different bodies that were preserved and bones and other such things while people were standing around me! I did my best to stand at an exhibit alone to read the cards explaining what exactly i was looking at.


I think the coolest thing was the cross section of the entire body, head to toe. and i really liked the molds of the blood vessels and whatnot that were in display cases of water. ( these were colored in blue, red and purple if i remember correctly) it was insane how much detail those casts got, and how truly complex things like the circulatory system really are

But, i guess, i want to know what other people thought of this exhibit, or what you think about it maybe having not seen it? Free for all discussion about this exhibit i guess!

Very interesting; and lessons to be learned too. It's not very often that you can see first hand the damage smoking does to your lungs or alcohol to your liver. That in itself was worth the price of admission from a public health awareness perspective. I'm pretty sure some people made some drasting changes in their lifestyle upon exiting the exhibit.

Best regards.

I was invited to go to this.
I passed.
Not something I am interested in or would want to see unless maybe I was a med student.

I thought it was fascinating. I was as amazed at the pristine condition of the specimens as I was at the musculature itself.

Originally Posted by ms_terese

I thought it was fascinating. I was as amazed at the pristine condition of the specimens as I was at the musculature itself.

oh yes! it was amazing to see how the muscles interacted with the body... no drawings can truly show how complex the body is!

Alicia, are you talking about the "Body Worlds" exhibit?

If so, I have not had to opportunity to see it in person, but did watch a video of the exhibits (and read thru the book) purchased from the show in my med terms class, and found it absolutely fascinating. I suppose it would be a whole different experience in person, but would jump at the chance to go see it.

The only part I found a bit disturbing was a display of a fetus, still inside the mother's womb, yet exposed to be able to be seen. Personally, I don't think that was necessary at all....but I suppose some feel differently, that it is no more "wrong" than any of the other bodies displayed.

Originally Posted by Cat_72

Alicia, are you talking about the "Body Worlds" exhibit?

If so, I have not had to opportunity to see it in person, but did watch a video of the exhibits (and read thru the book) purchased from the show in my med terms class, and found it absolutely fascinating. I suppose it would be a whole different experience in person, but would jump at the chance to go see it.

The only part I found a bit disturbing was a display of a fetus, still inside the mother's womb, yet exposed to be able to be seen. Personally, I don't think that was necessary at all....but I suppose some feel differently, that it is no more "wrong" than any of the other bodies displayed.

im not sure if there are other exhibits that are basically the same, but there could be!

Its the one where they display full bodies, parts, bones and such by preserving them in a process called Plasticizing( hopefully thats the correct term) so, if thats the same thing... yeah, thats it.

I did see the fetuses and such too... which, was kinda weird, but i dont remember seeing the mother/fetus one.

I'm thinking we're thinking of the same thing...."Plastination" is used, a method of preservation invented by Gunther Von Hagen.

If it ever makes its way back to Minneapolis, I'm SO there.

http://www.bodyworlds.com/en/prelude.html

How cool! They even have items for sale on the website. That's sweet! My birthday is coming up soon so I might ask my kids to get me a clean and dirty lung mousepad. Hey maybe they'll have a liver mousepad by then so I can order that to use as padding to cushion my head when I pass out in front of the computer from too many drinks.......

bonk....thud......Zzzzzzzzzzz.

I live in central Ohio and the Bodies Exhibit was here for quite a while. I had planned on going mainly because I am an RN student, but partly out of curiosity. I heard it was interesting and I wish I had not missed it, but with school and work I just ran out of time.
There were some of our clinical groups that were taken to this as a clinical day and loved it. If I had been allowed to use a clinical day I would have gone in a heartbeat.