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'Body
Worlds 2' fascinates, amazes armchair scientists
Plastination
• The "Body Worlds 2" exhibition
at the California Science Center gives visitors
a unique view of the human body in a form
rarely seen. "Body Worlds 2" runs
through March 27, 2005. California Science
Center
By
Michelle Zenarosa
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
Who
really needs funerals?
Let's
look at our options: being set on fire and
burned to ashes or buried and left to rot
with worms crawling through your mouth and
eyes. These don't sound very appealing when
compared to being permanently plastinated
and publicly and eternally displayed for
the educational use of the masses.
The
exhibition titled "Body Worlds 2,"
the second part to Gunther von Hagens' "Body
Worlds: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real
Human Bodies," can make all your dreams
come true. Or at least calm your nightmares
about burial. Plus, it's cheaper.
"Body
Worlds 2," which exhibits real human
bodies posed in various positions, was created
in response to the huge popularity of its
predecessor, the most well attended special
exhibit in California Science Center history.
"Body Worlds" made its premiere
in Japan in 1995 and has been touring the
world ever since.
The
exhibition showcases more than 200 new plastinated
human specimens, all of which were donated
by the body donors themselves. Anyone who
wishes to donate their bodies for medical
research are encouraged to fill out an application
at the exhibit.
When
a human body is preserved by plastination,
it undergoes a vacuum-like process that
sucks up the fat and dehydrates the rest
of the body, leaving it to feel like rubber.
The body then, is everlastingly preserved
and free of decaying, a natural process
hindering the development of scientific
and medical research.
The
plastination technique was invented by von
Hagens in 1977 and, for the first time,
enabled scientists and everyday people to
closely look into the human body.
The
exhibit also puts emphasis on the fragility
of life and the importance of leading a
healthy lifestyle. A showcase of healthy
and unhealthy organs make visitors think
twice before they smoke their next cigarette
or eat their next hamburger from McDonald's.
For instance, the "Suicide by Fat:
Obesity Revealed" specimen expresses
how fat tissue can damage the heart and
bones.
But
the exhibit's purpose is not to scare the
audience, it also hails the wonders of modern
science in its "Orthopedic Man"
model, which presents an assortment of surgically
implanted orthopedic devices, including
impressively detailed stainless steel joints
and heart valves.
Humans
and human organs are not the only specimens
presented, however. An entire camel and
its baby are displayed to contrast the human
body and at the same time highlight the
complexity of the digestive system.
If
visitors desire, a feature film can be viewed
on a seven-story high IMAX screen for $5.50
more. The film, "The Human Body,"
follows a family in their day to day ventures
and a tiny camera reveals, microscopically,
what happens inside the human body as it
is performing certain tasks such as biking,
playing basketball and eating. The camera
even shows a human body and what happens
to it while it is pregnant.
The
exhibit is an excellent opportunity for
professionals and non-professionals alike
to learn about the intricacy and grace of
the human anatomy that has never been presented
to us before. Over 16 million visitors have
seen the exhibit worldwide.
"Body
Worlds 2" will run at the California
Science Center in Los Angeles until March
27, 2005. Tickets cost $9.50 for students
and $13 with the IMAX film at www.californiasciencecenter.org.
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