BODIES: THE EXHIBITION

Bioology class was never like this! Bodies: The Exhibition provides information on human anatomy -- and as detailed a view as anyone who's not a medical professional will ever get into the varied external and internal parts of the human body.

Adopting the credo "to see is to know," Bodies: The Exhibition is a first-hand look at what's inside and outside us humans -- using actual human remains. The exhibit is divided into several categories -- Skeletal, Muscular, Nervous, Circulatory/Respiratory, Digestive, Fetal Development, Reproductive/Urinary, the Treated Body -- and there are plenty of cards with information on the general workings of the human systems and what specific organs do.

By the way, the word "bodies" in this exhibit is literal. The draw -- and attraction, and controversy -- of the exhibit is that everything on display is from actual people, from individual organs to the numerous standing constructs.
While this makes the exhibit harder for the faint of heart or weak of stomach, the result is a display that is completely, well, realistic. These remains are also used -- very well -- to illustrate how these systems work. Bodies are divided horizontally or vertically, cross-sections are visible, the brain and nervous system are spread out flat, one display even has one person's muscles leaning one, way, holding the hands of his skeleton leaning the other direction.

I haven't delved into the intricacies of the human mechanism since high school, but I found Bodies: The Exhibition fascinating. While there is certainly an element of sensationalism in the advertising for this exhibit, the combination of information and actual bodies results in a fascinating and informative look into what makes us tick (and move, and breathe, and think...)

Overall grade: A+
Reviewed by James Lynch