Today I went to see "Bodyworlds" at London's O2 Millenium Dome. In case you don't know, "Bodyworlds" is a pretty amazing exhibition of actual human bodies that were donated to science and put through the somewhat controversial "plastination" process invented by the [slightly creepy] German Dr. Gunther von Hagens. In short, plastination uses reactive polymers injected into cells to halt decomposition and allow detailed study and display of the body.
I had hoped to post a photo from the exhibition as my "Pic Of The Week," but alas, we were warned repeatedly that all photography -- and even drawing sketches of any part of the exhibit on paper -- was strictly forbidden. (I would like to note here that I spotted two people making sketches -- and blocking the view of many people in the process, but I bit my tongue about that.)
In the absence of a photo, here's a link to read about plastination and the type of thing you might see at the exhibition. "Bodyworlds" tours lots of countries -- and is nowhere near as gruesome as it may sound. In fact, even the full-grown, plastinated giraffe failed to truly amaze me -- though the size of its anus was remarkable, for some reason.
Definitely check it out if it's in your part of the world...
http://www.bodyworlds.com
p.s.
It is not lost on me that the unusual creator of this whole thing is German -- draw parallels where applicable.
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