I saw the Body Worlds exhibit in Chicago at the Museum of Science and Industry. I felt that it wasn't as ghoulish as it may seem. The exhibits are primarily anatomical in nature. For example, one display shows the normally tightly-packed calf muscles spread out. Another shows just the vacular system. None of the exhibits seems to be ridiculing the people who gave their lives to the project nor taking death lightly. Moreover, because the body parts are injected with a plastic resin, they don't look as grisly as you might think they would. If you weren't told what they were, you might think they were plastic models.

However, there are some displays that may be unsettling. One display, which was behind a curtain, showed a woman who was eight months pregnant when she passed away (she had elected to be part of the project earlier).

Despite some of the more theatrical aspects of the project, at its core it is anatomical in nature. Indeed, many of the people there were biologists and medical students. Perhaps an interesting question that comes out of something like this is why we feel that education now always must be entertaining. Neil Postman wrote a book in the 80s called Amusing Ourselves to Death which discusses this issue. He feels that it is dangerous to use the classroom to perpetuate the prevailing concept in American culture that something is only valuable insofar as it is entertaining. Postman challenges the notion that students are entitled to be entertained in the classroom. He contends that the pressure upon instructors to incorporate things like television and fun (but disengaging) activities into the classroom doesn't necessarily instruct but rather makes students passive, ignorant, and blissfully doped-up. He sees "edutainment" as an act of violence against students, as it gives the appearance of education but is in actuality a glorified form of babysitting. It cheats them out of actual learning and keeps them in a state of immaturity in which only the desire for pleasure is acknowledged.

So what do you think? Do we have a right to be entertained in the classroom? How does entertainment function in the context of education? Is this post boring, and does that it make it worthless?

I think this is an interesting way to display the body as a form of art. The German physician gets a point across by showing the physical damages that result from bad habits. It is a form of expression and we can all learn a thing or two from it. It said in the article that it may be too scary for some kids and I think that is ridiculous. If you are too scared to see it don't go in and if I am not mistaken there are things called doors that leads a person outside and away from the exhibit. If the person agrees to be displayed (before they passed) and it does not cause health issues then what is the problem? I think this is a brilliant idea and if I had a chance I would be thrilled to see the exhibit.

I'm not the most enthusiastic museum-visitor, but if the Body Worlds exhibit was to make a stop near here, I would be very interested to see it. I think it could be very educational and teach us about our bodies and the damage we cause to them. As to Mr. Tirrell's comment, as much as I hate to admit it entertainment in the classroom is useless and shouldn't be allowed (except for in appreciation classes). I remember watching three full seasons of Law and Order in my high school government class and how later I laughed at how little I had learned in an important class.

I do think the experience of being able to see the actual insides of a human could be very enlightening. This could be very useful in the education of medical students. Maybe this exibit could be used by some of the medical schools.
I do not like the fact that these bodies are posed. I don't think this is necessary and I don't find it funny. I don't see how poseing the bodies helps the education of the people.
If this display is to go on tour, I think the type of audience needs to be monitored. I don't think it is appropriate for this exhibit to be on display at a children's museum. I do however think it would benefit all other audiences.

i did see the body works display, at the chicag museum of science and industry. I thought is was educational, but also very wierd and shocking. It takes time to realalive that every person, or organ came from a human being. You see hole people with there skin off, for me that was more wired then educational. belive this excibt is something that has never been done before, but is certainly no for the week stomach. many of the displays have purpose, but others are more disturping than educational.

I think it is disrespactful, I understand that it is educational, but the bodies should not be put in certain postions for entertainment. It shows that our culture finds death amusing and grotesque acts are fun to enjoy seeing. For example I believe in educating people about the human anatomy but how is a man sitting on a horse both skinned and the man holding his brain in one hand and the horse's in the other educational.

I think it can be beneficial to have these displays in order to make scientific research, but do not think these preserved bodies should be out for display. The general public had conflicting opinions on the displays; some liked it, some where grossed out. Researchers and other staff and officials think this if beneficial, but I think these should be beneficial behind closed doors. If experiments need to be ran on these bodies, then that should be their only use, not for decoration.

I think that this is insane. People donating their bodies to science to get that? Wouldnt you want your body to be used for more useful things than to be on desplay for a attraction?I think that they could use different things to "show off".

My feelings toward this topic is that i personally would not want to experience it, but i think something like this could be very beneficial for many people and educational. I am a bit hesitant about the body's being open to the public and i feel that if the bodies were only shown to people who are in a field or studying a field that is dealing with the body it would be a better alternative. I know of a few people who have seen the exhibit and most of them have mixed feelings about, saying that it was very interesting to see, but that it made them a bit sick to their stomachs.