Note: This article contains talk and images about real human bodies and body parts, which some readers may find uncomfortable and/or unsettling. I've tried to keep my comments and views as clinical as I see fit, but if this sort of thing offends you please return and read my other posts.

Those of you who know me, and I'm not sure how many of them will read this, know that I have a slight contradiction of myself when I was invited to the exhibit. I have a real interest in science, and the human body and the process of life is really interesting to me. However. I also don't get on well with surgery (not a fear, more of a general avoidance wherever I can). But, my scientific curiosity (and other half) talked me into going along and seeing the experience for myself, and it was very interesting.

For those who don't know, the Real Bodies exhibition is a touring exhibition by Imagine Exhibitions which showcases a selection of preserved human bodies and anatomical specimens for the public to see. The exhibits all the themes, and show different parts of the human anatomy from a view which I'd not seen in person before, ranging from skeletons to examples of muscles and veins within the organs of the body.

The exhibition itself is very interesting, and a way of learning about the human body which I never had the chance to in school. It's one thing to look at a diagram of the different parts of the body, and reading about how much of the body consists of each element, but seeing it physically in front of you is an entirely new concept.
The different areas of the exhibition are related to different functions of the human body and life cycle itself, looking at the different things we take for granted in our day to day lives, beginning at the development of the fetus (possibly the most hard-hitting displays) through to the end of our lives.

I won't go much further into too much detail about the various exhibits, as my descriptions wouldn't do the displays justice, so I'll focus mainly on what I experienced while I was there.

Imagine Inc describes the exhibition as being like art, and honestly, it is. The different specimens are displayed in such a way that you could quite easily walk around the exhibit as if it was art gallery, simply observing and interpreting the different pieces. Honestly, I loved the way that the specimens were displayed within the exhibit, and I felt myself being drawn into the pieces and wanting to learn the stories behind each piece. I really enjoyed it, and it was amazing to feel the whole story of people's lives on display.

The exhibition pushes boundaries while seamlessly blending art, science, and emotion as a museum of the self.

- Imagine Exhibitions inc

As I was walking around the exhibition, looking at the various samples on display, I found myself thinking about the fragility of the human body itself, and how amazing it is that we exist at all. This was particularly prevalent when looking at the displays about the human brain.

The brain is such an amazing piece of biological technology, and seeing an example of it up close, and knowing that it once belonged to a person who walked the earth before us was fascinating, and slightly daunting as well. This beautiful object in the case in front of me once contained a life which was just as important and eventful as my own, and how small it seemed to contain all of that power and energy.
As well as seeing the complete brain, there was a sample which had been dissected, and the different areas highlighted. It was weird to think that all of our memories and thoughts are contained in one part of this biological computer, and seeing how large it is was incredible.

But that's enough about me and my brain.

To summarise. This was a great experience, very interesting, and well worth anyone going to see it if they get the chance. I know that there are other exhibits which are similar, particularly the Gunther Van Hagen exhibit, and they are well worth a visit when you can.

Until next time

Tim

Find out more about The Real Bodies here: https://www.imagineexhibitions.com/exhibitions/real-bodies

image credits: image 1, image 2