On Friday, one of our teachers, Jan Takeshita, made her final visit with a group of students to BodyWorlds 3 at the California Science Center before it closed this weekend.  Here are her thoughts.

I’m aiming to set an NHI record for the most visits to BodyWorlds 3!  Last Friday, I attended this amazing exhibit for the third time when I took a few students from Group 56, my mentor group, and one escapee from Group 51.  We all had a great time exploring with the occasional “Oooh” and “Aaah” and comments like “Hey…there’s the sternocleidomastoid!”  I never tired of the students’ request, “Hey Jan, what’s that?!”

Personally, it’s like watching a well-crafted mystery movie.  I learn something new each time I go.  Viewing the bodies and seeing the muscles we work on was the most intriguing the first time.  Seeing an actual hip or knee replacement was amazing!  My second visit (with all the NHI teachers) was a review of the posing bodies.  Also, I paid more attention to the organs.  Viewing the organs with various pathologies was sobering (cirrhosis of the liver, smoker’s lung, cancerous breast, hardening of the arteries).  This time I paid special attention to the nervous system.

The body is so fascinating and, while it’s complex enough to always be somewhat mysterious, it has become less and less mystifying each time I go.

Some Group 56 students at BodyWorlds 3.

Lastly, I feel compelled to comment about the concern that many of these bodies might have been from individuals who didn’t give consent to be plastinated.  I, too, have read these news reports.  Speaking only for myself, I visited the exhibit on all occasions with a tuned sensitivity to the energy that might come from a lost spirit.  I have never “felt” that something was amiss.  Whoever these people were, they have given me and many others the amazing gift of insight and information…and I thank them all.

When I last blogged about BodyWorlds, I mentioned a related, if unflattering, German movie called Anatomie.  Well, it so happens that Monday I saw yet another movie featuring the actual BodyWorlds exhibit – Casino Royale, the latest James Bond movie.  It doesn’t have much to do with the plot (what plot?), but it looks good while Bond runs through.  Talk about product placement.

BodyWorlds will forever change the way you view the human body.  Four years ago, I had the good fortune to see the first BodyWorlds tour – an incredible experience!  Anatomy drawings, pictures, and models just don’t compare to seeing the complexity and intricate details of the real thing.  However, when I recently went to Bodyworlds 3 at the California Science Center here in Los Angeles, I was even luckier to be in the company of some of our outstanding teachers.  Getting insight from those who teach this stuff every day was its own education.

For those not familiar with it, BodyWorlds is an exhibit of real human bodies preserved through plastination.  These bodies are donated for the purpose of science; at the end of the exhibit, you can read testimonials explaining why some people chose to donate themselves.  The wild success of BodyWorlds has led to copycat exhibits of lesser quality.  While the science community has questioned the ethics of these imitators, the original BodyWorlds has consistently proven itself to be a reputable organization.

Our teachers have led some more field trips for our students since then, but for those going on their own, we put together the following tips.  This L.A. exhibit closes September 7, 2008, so you must hurry.  Otherwise, check the BodyWorlds website for a visit near you.

Click Here for BodyWorlds 3 Teacher Tips

NHI Teachers at BodyWorlds 3

On a related note, over this past weekend I watched a German horror film that uses plastinated bodies as its storyline.  It’s called Anatomie and stars Franka Potente (Run, Lola, Run).  It’s certainly not respectful towards the scientific intent of BodyWorlds, but if you enjoy German horror films, you’ll probably like it.  Apparently it was good enough to warrant a sequel – creatively titled Anatomie 2.  Viewing Tip: I saw the version with cheesy English voiceovers; it would have been much better in the original German with English subtitles.