You probably noticed the brief cameo the Body Worlds exhibit made in the 2006 James Bond movie “Casino Royale.” No doubt, you’ve seen those yawn-inducing anatomy and physiology drawings in school. We all like to think we know our bodies pretty well. But just imagine zipping off your skin like a catsuit, and you would likely be quite surprised at what you find underneath it all.
If you have the necessary curiosity and the stomach for it, you’ll get an eye-opening experience at UT’s new Stark Center, part of the new north endzone addition to the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on campus. Our Body: The Universe Within is a traveling educational exhibit on display through Oct. 1, displaying approximately 200 organs, human bodies and other anatomical specimens preserved by polymer impregnation. Through this process of reactive plastics, water and fat is replaced while being exactly preserved to the microscopic level, leaving completely dry and odorless specimens. So you’ll be seeing the real deal for $21 general admission.
But where do these bodies come from? Well, these ones come from Hong Kong, but basically you could wind up in an exhibit like this should you choose to dedicate your body to science. That’s a bit much for some people to take, and I’ll admit I was reluctant to visit at first. However, it’s surprisingly easy to get over once you set foot inside the exhibit. My biggest complaint would be the dim lighting and the music that was softly playing, that I’m sure was intended to be soothing, but instead was a bit eerie. After the first five minutes, I stopped looking for Buffalo Bill of “Silence of the Lambs” lurking around the corner and became engrossed in the displays.
What struck me the most profoundly was the display of a brain that had suffered a stroke. The healthy tissue on the right side of the brain stood in stark contrast to the damaged, black, almost-burned-looking tissue on the left side where the bleeding had occurred. As someone with a grandparent that suffered a debilitating stroke, seeing the brain in this light gave me a better, yet bittersweet comprehension of the extent of the damage.
The more controversial prenatal section was tucked in the back corner, with a jaw dropping and equally heartrending display of the development of the fetus from smaller than the size of a paperclip to something that could fit in the palm of your hand. Another surprise was an exposed spinal cord, with the slender wiry cords enabling movement fully dissected. Under such close inspection, it seemed even more extraordinary that all of us weren’t paralyzed, being composed of such delicate materials.
If you want insight into the inner workings of your body on the level of a doctor, this exhibit will surely give it to you. But if you’d rather not delve under the skin, stick to more light-hearted anatomy studies, like that timeless classic game “Operation.”
Even that photo freaks me out! I don’t think I could handle this. I’m a bit too squeamish, but good for you for making it through.
I really am usually pretty squeamish myself – it really wasn’t nearly as disturbing as I was expecting. I recommend checking it out! Just don’t eat anything before you go, heh.
Yeah. Just reading this made me sick. I totally would’ve blew chunks and embarrassed you guys.