Body Worlds 2

On Saturday my sister and I decided to go see Body Worlds 2: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies. Oh my....is all i have to say. I found it rather interesting/disgusting. Gunther Von Hagens is the inventor of plastination. Plastination makes it possible to preserve an entire body or individual tissues and organs that have been removed from the body of the deceased. Decomposition is halted by removing water and fats from the tissues and replacing these with polymers.

Anyway so there were preserved bodies displayed in many different ways as well as cases of organs and various body parts. It was interesting to see the effects of a stroke on the brain or an obese man vs a skinny man and all the muscles in our bodies. I recall laughing as we approached one specific case. It was a pelvis and a leg. This particular person had had a knee replacement. Also attached was his penis. The gentleman behind me had children with him and kept trying to keep their eyes away from the genitals by repeating "wow, look at that shiny knee, look kids, it's metal, wow, look at that knee" as the wife and the rest of us started to laugh.

As i said i found the exhibit quite interesting but it also really creeped me out. I think for most of it i had a look of sheer horror and disgust on my face as well as one of wonder. The one man had been sliced repeatedly but he had that funeral skin look and there was hair on his head and my sister felt the need to point out his sliced nipple....eek. I wanted to poke at him but i refrained. I do however wonder how the camel and the horse gave their consent to be a part of this :)

All in all it was a good educational experience. Many a time i have pulled my sciatica nerve not really knowing what it was, just that i was in pain...but this experience allowed me to actually see the nerve and to appreciate my body a little more. I really do need to take better care of it :)

If you want more information about this exhibit google Body Worlds ... I cannot get the link to work.

My sister and I also took a spin around the Science Centre. We looked ridiculous i'm sure hopping on bikes to make a light glow and having races on rowing machines. She of course won however she rowed for years but felt the need to boast about it throughout the day. We also did a simulated wheelchair race....before the minute was even up our arms were hurting so bad....i don't know how they can race like that.
Jennifer will appreciate this one....they have an aging machine so you can see what you will look like in 40 or so years. Asides from the fact that there was a huge lineup we did not participate in that one....I would rather die then see all the wrinkles that will be added to my already existing bunch.