Body Worlds 2

Soccer Player

Image "borrowed" from The Museum of Science and Industry's website

When the original Body Worlds exhibit was at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago a couple of years ago, I didn't go see it. I've regretted missing it, but I had the chance to see the new Body Worlds 2 exhibit today. (Photography was prohibited at the exhibit so I have borrowed an image from the MSI website for you to see instead.)

WOW! You MUST go see this exhibit!

20 "Plastinates" are on exhibit along with hundreds of "body parts." A plastinate is a preserved "real" human body. Yes, these are not plastic molds of human bodies, but rather they are the actual human bodies themselves. Through a process which replaces bodily fluids and fats with plastic, the human body is preserved in a way I have never seen before!

Now I have been to numerous autopsies in the past while working in law enforcement, so I was not expecting to be "grossed out" by these exhibits. But what surprised me was that nobody attending the exhibits seemed grossed out either! Rather, everyone I saw at the exhibit was totally fascinated by what they were seeing!

You will learn a lot about the human body by going to this exhibit. I took the audio tour (an extra four dollars, but well worth it) which gave more information than just reading the little cards placed next to each exhibit.

The plastinates are posed in many unique ways which really makes the exhibits look like a work of art. The inventor of the plastinates process has been criticized in the past for turning a medical exhibit into an art exhibit, but so what?! It is really impressive.

Go see Body Worlds 2 at the Museum of Science and Industry. I promise it will amaze you! If you can't go to the Museum, then go see the new James Bond film, "Casino Royale" because in one scene, you'll see some plastinates there as well.