May 11, 2010 - Our
Bodies - The Universe Within
We just returned from the Our Bodies - The Universe Within exhibit on the U.T. campus,
and I'm still not sure what to make of the whole thing. In a
nutshell, the exhibit is comprised of numerous actual human cadavers
and body parts - all preserved through a special polymer process -
dissected to illustrate the inner functions of the human body and
thematically arranged by body function categories (respiratory,
reproductive, digestive, muscular/skeletal,
etc.).
While the exhibit definitely
lives up to its educational promise, the level of medical explanation
is more trivia-like and rarely ascends above 8th grade physical
science. The educational information is limited,
although a timeline on the history of anatomical studies proved
fascinating. The level of detail achieved by displaying actual
body sections delivers the exhibits biggest "wow" factor,
showing the realism of the of the human body inner workings in a manner
no other exhibit could achieve.
While the 200 actual
preserved bodies and body parts unnerved some of the visitors we
encountered as we explored the exhibits, you've actually seen more
graphic depictions on CSI or House. It was refreshing to see
parents discussing the science and health issues candidly with their
children - especially one father who explained the body parts and their
functions to his preschool daughter ("you know when you get the
hiccups? It's this part of your body…).
Some aspects of the exhibit are
visually stunning. The preserved cardiovascular depictions of the
body's blood system - in particular the individual major organs - are
intricately displayed, looking like fragile fan corals. And the
display of an entire human body, cut into half-inch slices from head to
toe and stretched out on a table, shows the intricacy of
the your inner workings in startling detail.
The exhibit also includes a
separate room, detailing human fetal development from inception to
birth. The week-by-week explanation of human development in the
womb takes the edge off of realizing you are viewing real preserved
babies on display.
The lobby of the new Stark Center,
located in the north end of the Darrel Royal Memorial Stadium, features
formal artwork, antique posters, and displays on physical fitness and
body-building that comprise a separate exhibit experience. The
educational value of the lobby displays alone are worth the trip to the
exhibit.
The Our
Bodies - The Universe Within exhibit will
continue daily through the summer. For more information, visit www.StarkCenter.org.
(Photos courtesy Hook'em Marketing)
