The New Detroit Science Center always has provided exhibits and displays meant to give visitors a better understanding of the world they live in and even into the depths of space. The latest traveling exhibit to come to the center is aiming in the opposite direction, inward, to what lies under our own skins.
"Our Body: The Universe Within" uses actual human specimens, from individual parts to entire bodies, to provide a rare glimpse at ourselves in a way only a small percentage of us usually get to see. Through the various displays, guests can see what the human skeletal, circulatory and nervous systems really look like. They can see how muscles and organs are configured and get a better understanding of why we are built the way we are.
"It's an incredible exhibit, but it's a very different one for us in a number of ways," said Todd Slisher, vice president of science programs at the New Detroit Science Center.
For one thing, the center is giving this exhibit an unofficial "PG-13" rating. Parents should know that these are complete bodies, genitalia included.
"If you're under the age of 13, we don't recommend the exhibit," Slisher said. "But if there is a parent or guardian who wants a younger child to see the exhibit, we are not going to stop them. It's just they should know our recommendation is 13 and up for this one."
There is also the reality of the exhibit to consider, for visitors of any age.
"Of course, people will react to this exhibit many different ways," Slisher said. "And some people are a little sensitive to the fact that these are real human bodies, and they can have different reactions."
Those who come with a sense of curiosity and desire to learn about the human body will get their money's worth.
From that first moment in our cribs that we notice our fingers and toes wiggling around, people go through life with an awareness of their bodies, these complex machines of living tissues in which we live our lives. As we get older, most of us get a rough idea where all the parts of the machine are and what they do without ever actually seeing the inner workings.
After all, the human body is not a car, where you pop open the hood for routine maintenance.
The look inside the body usually reserved for doctors and scientists is possible thanks to a process popularly referred to as plastination, in which all the moisture and fat is gradually replaced with a polymer, down to the cellular level.
The process takes up to 1,500 hours to complete. When it's done, the plasticized body parts are completely dry, odorless and immune to decay.
In the early stages of this process, the bodies are flexible. In some cases, the bodies have been posed in "action," as though running, bicycling, playing soccer, etc. The poses are not to amuse or entertain, but to best illustrate a particular anatomical aspect.
With the "running" man, for example, the muscles are semidetached so they can be seen separately.
Most of the displays are in cases and pertain to specific part of the body. In several cases there are examples of healthy and diseased organs displayed side by side. Some of the larger displays are in the open so they can be seen closely and from all angles. Guests are reminded that this exhibit differs from other science center attractions in that there is no touching allowed.
The overall exhibit is divided into galleries, each focused on a particular system.The galleries flow from one to the next, with one exception dealing with gestation that is partitioned off from the rest. With examples of fetuses at various stages of development, visitors are cautioned the visceral reaction they might experience in this area could be stronger than in the rest of the exhibit.
This consideration is in keeping with the overall tone of the exhibit, which is presented in a subdued, museumlike atmosphere.
Each display includes educational panels, and there are more educational panels on the walls for each section of the exhibit. Acoustic guides are available that provide even more information at practically every station. Anyone who comes hoping to learn something about human anatomy could spend hours trying to absorb it all.
Two floors down from the rest of the exhibit is an annex that, along with more bodies on display, is a gallery devoted to the human anatomy at the cellular level. A series of stations shows images of healthy and unhealthy cells from various parts of the body. Throughout the exhibit's stay, there will be presentations and activities to enhance the visual displays.
"We're trying to add a little more science to help people enjoy the exhibit a little bit more," said Rebecca Nielsen, the science center's senior manager of education programs.
"We are going to have an educator at each floor. We will probably switch up every few weeks with programs on the cells, their composition and what the various kinds do for the body."
There are other human body exhibits on tour, all with similar names. In literature provided for this tour, there is a disclaimer that firmly disassociates "Our Body: The Universe Within" from the other exhibits with which it might be confused.
Slightly more ambiguous is the explanation that the specimens were obtained by a Chinese foundation "in a manner consistent with the laws of China." No one associated with the exhibit was at the press preview event to elaborate on that point. The written material goes on to say the specimens were donated through medical schools and other research facilities for research and educational purposes.
Individuals will have to weigh that possible moral dilemma for themselves as they also measure their own degrees of intellectual interest and simple curiosity in deciding for themselves if this exhibit is for them, and especially if it is for their children.
"We went through that a little bit when we were deciding to bring in this exhibit," Slisher said.
"But we think this exhibit has so much scientific value and so much educational value that it's worthwhile for us to bring it in for the people of southeast Michigan, even if it's not appropriate for our youngest visitors."
Tickets for "Our Body: The Universe Within" are $24.95 for adults, $22.95 for seniors and $19.95 for children, which includes general admission to the center. Children ages 12 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.
During the exhibit's run through late May, the center's IMAX Dome Theatre will be showing the film "The Human Body," which can be seen for an additional $3 for adults and $2 for children and seniors with the purchase of a ticket to "Our Body: The Universe Within." Advance tickets are available at www.detroitsciencecenter.org.
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