The Bodies Exhibit at South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan features displays that you would never find in any ordinary biology or anatomy textbook. It combines science with art in such an innovative way that you'll be asking for more. The exhibit displays real human bodies while focusing on particular body systems. Each body is opened up in very specific ways to emphasize a disease or illustrate body movements. It might sound disgusting, but it's actually a wonder to see. You see the bodies doing many tasks, from playing football to just walking.

The exhibition illustrates, for example, how our muscles contract and how our blood vessels look. Even if you come out of the exhibit not remembering what the brief written synopses said, the images are something you won't forget. The Bodies Exhibit also is surprisingly moving. After seeing the exhibits, not only will you be able to view your body in a different way, you might even make some changes in your lifestyle.

There is a display in the respiratory section that shows a good lung and a lung damaged by smoking. The damaged lung is completely black and might be the only thing you find disgusting in the whole exhibition. Alongside is a glass box in which people are asked to throw away their cigarettes. After seeing how their own lung could turn out, some visitors do make the decision to dispose of their cigarette packs. The box was full of approximately 100 cigarette boxes. Whether people stick with their decision or not, at least they took the initiative because they were so moved by the exhibition.

There is a controversy over the Bodies Exhibit: the bodies featured are said to be executed Chinese prisoners who gave no consent to having their bodies sliced and displayed. People who work iat the Bodies Exhibit told me that this is not true. The bodies displayed are those of people who volunteered to be used in some sort of scientific work. In fact, the exhibition is very respectful towards the bodies. This is why cameras are not allowed unless for educational purposes. Whether you believe that the bodies belonged to prisoners is up to you. There is no written proof that they weren't prisoners, but there also isn't any proof that they were not.

The fetus display is a recently added feature to the Bodies Exhibit. Cameras aren't recommended in this section because some people feel uncomfortable around the fetuses. In my opinion, it's actually the most interesting section of the exhibition along with the section where you're allowed to touch real organs. The new display shows the development of a fetus to a baby during gestation. It also shows fetuses with various birth defects like conjoined twins. These are things you normally see on T.V., and it's very interesting to actually see the real thing.

I think the Bodies Exhibit has the power to open people's eyes about how fragile our bodies are, and convince them to take better care of themselves. The Bodies Exhibit is for everyone including children as young as five. It is more than educational, it's fun!

For more science-related exhibitions in the New York City area, see our Science in the City video.

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