On Saturday John
and I spent the day in Atlanta – we ate an amazing meal at Houston’s (which I
should have taken a picture of – you wouldn't believe the mountain of cheese on
my burger!), wandered around Atlantic Station, and saw Bodies: The Exhibition. I am sure many of you may be familiar with
this exhibit, but for those that aren't, a little background from their website:
“Since the earliest efforts of ancient
Egyptians to distinguish individual organs, humankind has been fascinated with
uncovering the secrets of the human body. The study of human anatomy remains a
cornerstone of medical education. BODIES...The Exhibition provides millions of
visitors around the world with unprecedented access to anatomical detail
historically only available to medical professionals.
BODIES...The Exhibition offers an
intimate and informative view into the human body. Using an innovative
preservation process, the Exhibition allows visitors to see the human body's
inner beauty in educational and awe-inspiring ways. Our Exhibitions have over
200 actual human bodies and specimens meticulously dissected and respectfully
displayed, offering an unprecedented and wholly unique view into the amazing
body.
Specimens in the Exhibition are prepared
through a revolutionary process called polymer preservation, in which human
tissue is permanently preserved using liquid silicone rubber. This process
creates a specimen that will not decay, offering thousands of unique teaching
possibilities for educators at all levels. Preparation time varies: a small organ
may take only a week, while a full-body specimen may take up to a year to
prepare. After quality preservation, specimens can last for decades.
Look deep inside the systems of the human
body: Skeletal, muscular, nervous, respiratory, digestive, urinary,
reproductive, endocrine, and circulatory. Come explore, experience, and
celebrate the wonder of the human form at BODIES...The Exhibition.”
Going into this I have to admit I had no idea what was in store – I was somewhat familiar with the concept, but for some reason I just couldn't quite grasp that what I was about to look at was real, actual human bodies. Crazy!
Now, I may be
the most squeamish person in existence (seriously), but I have to admit this was
possibly the most interesting thing I have ever seen. You are given a chance to look at what is
inside of people, real people, and not some plastic model. And surprisingly it’s not gross – I was only
really grossed out by one thing in particular (a heart, of all things) but the
rest even I could handle. If you are squeamish, however - you may not want to look at the photos at the end of this post.
There were
models of all of the bodily systems, entire rooms dedicated to digestion,
circulation, reproduction, etc… and it was all absolutely fascinating. Seeing what is actually inside of us, the
things that we work so hard to keep fit and healthy and in working order is
something I would highly suggest to anyone given the opportunity. There is an audio tour available as well, but
most of the information is listed in the exhibits themselves, and luckily my
tour guide (/boyfriend) was very knowledgeable :-)
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