Bodies
by Eastw00d on 12/30/10MTS Centre Exhibit Hall - WinnipegAs a doc with 500 hours of Anatomy in med school plus 35 years of operating room experience this event didn't do much for me.
About Bodies: The Exhibition
The human body is the most complex, mystifying machine in existence, and probably the most difficult to comprehend. But the more closely we examine its mysteries, the more we can come to understand ourselves. Gaining this detailed understanding of the working parts that we all share is one of the main goals of Bodies: The Exhibition, but the compelling display is also a fascinating experience in and of itself. True to its title, the long-running, award-winning exhibit presents real human bodies in various forms, allowing us a peek inside to see what makes us all tick.
Entering into Bodies: The Exhibition, you'll find artfully arrayed sections of human forms that have been preserved by a special method and arranged to give visitors a guided tour of the human anatomical world. You'll come across skeletons that offer an opportunity to investigate bone structure, and then you'll get an up-close look at all the other systems that keep people together (literally), from the muscles to the nerves and beyond. You can see blood vessels throughout the body and learn about circulation, and see internal organs normally hidden from view. As intriguing as the entire prospect is all by itself, there are further educational elements at work. For instance, the lungs of smokers and nonsmokers are displayed side by side to drive home the point of cigarettes' effect on the lungs in no uncertain terms. There are even programs set up with schools for bringing students here to learn about the body — more than they ever could by sitting in a classroom. But of course you don't have to be out for an education to enjoy Bodies. You just have to be a human being with a natural curiosity about the way people work — a curiosity that the exhibit will satisfy like nothing else can.
As a doc with 500 hours of Anatomy in med school plus 35 years of operating room experience this event didn't do much for me.
The exhibit was educational; very tastefully presented; respectful to those who donated their bodies for this purpose and respectful of the feelings of those who go to see it.
I found the layout and set up of the exhibit very unique, but not worth the $52.00 it cost for us to go (whole experience took less than an hour). Plus they get you on the "self-guided tour", which was another $10.00. What you see on the building and billboards is what you see in the exhibit - would be a great exhibit for high school students. Plus walking around downtown is a big minus - I got asked for "spare change" 5 times while walking down 1 block. No I would not suggest this to anyone else.
Bodies was the best of both worlds . . . artistically, it displayed human bodies as miraculous and beautiful forms. Educationally, it was invaluable. In all my years taking biology at school, I never understood the body as well as I do now. A picture is truly worth a thousand words. The body is truly breath taking, both in form and function.