Review: The BODIES Exhibition

A group of us hit the BODIES exhibition at the Civic Center Saturday night.

Now, you know I’m not one for guts and gore; the first time I watched “The Evil Dead,” it was in the morning, with breaks every 20 minutes so I could catch my breath (and sanity). My group included Nurse Karen, who isn’t squeamish about the body, so I needed to act cool. I bravely walked through the front doors, fortified by my vice of choice (three margarita swirls from Casa Grande). Who would have guessed that I didn’t need my fix?

BODIES is one of the most interesting, fascinating, educational exhibits I’ve ever seen. On display are actual cadavers, preserved using a special polymer process. There are bodies dissected so that you can see how the muscles work while running or playing basketball. There’s a skeleton holding hands with his musculature self, showing you how the two are related. The section showing the blood vessels and arteries looked like an art exhibit. There’s a display comparing a healthy lung to a smoker’s lung (toss those Camels, folks), and cancerous organs to healthy ones. There’s a room showing fetal development that I found amazing (but it could disturb some).

BODIES isn’t gross; it’s engrossing. I highly recommend this exhibit.

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