Memento Mori

So goes the Latin phrase that means, "Remember that you are mortal." Reading that has a sobering effect on one, and that is the first thing one reads on a lit board while walking into the Body Worlds 3 exhibit at the Arizona Science Center. On display from January 26 through May 28, Body Worlds is the epitome of getting up-close and personal with one’s insides. It is "the anatomical exhibition of real human bodies". Dr. Gunther von Hagens, a controversial figure, invented a preservative made of polymers in 1975, coined the term Plastination for it and patented his method.

Preservation methods have been around for centuries, but as a quote at the exhibit put it, "the resulting dehydrated specimen showed only the sorrow of death." Dr. Gunther von Hagens Plastination technique is unique because the cadavers are in Technicolor. Plastination essentially halts decomposition. This means that for the first time the cadaver can be studied without decomposition getting in the way. However, Body Worlds isn’t just about the science of the body. It’s also about its art. "What I liked most was the combination of the artistic with the scientific", said Suzie Olson, 57. The cadavers, all with their fats stripped down to the muscle, give the impression of athletic physiques. They are positioned in life-like poses, almost as if time caught them in the moment of their glory. A person wrote in the comment book, "I love the fact that they look like they’re still having fun!" Kristin Clyder, 25, a first-grade teacher, appreciated how the bodies were so stiff yet at such flexible angles.

The Praying Skeleton, kneeling with his heart cupped in his hands, serves as a memorial to the 120 body donors, most of whom were Christians. The Orthopedic Woman balanced in the air on the knee of a man is opened up elegantly to show all the prostheses that had been implanted in her body during her life. "She’s my favorite", said Sarah, 12. The Obesity is what caught 24 years old ASU Education major Jessica Dormady’s eye. A 300 lbs man sliced up to give profile views of all his fat preserved as it was. "It really opens your eyes. Makes you more conscientious about what you do to your body", she said.

The more controversial displays were those of the fetuses, the first as tiny as the point of a lead pencil and the largest one ready to breathe its first breath. Curiously, the fetuses were displayed behind a big curtain separating them from the rest of the exhibit. One couple was repulsed and another sentimental. Melissa, 12, said they were her favorite part of the exhibit. "I’ve worked at Planned Parenthood before so the fetuses weren’t a disturbing site for me. But an unnecessary effect has been created by separating them from the rest of the exhibit", said Megan, 27, a nursing student at ASU. "I’m curious to know if they exhibited the fetuses the same way in another (liberal) state or in Europe", said John, 31. However, Kristen, 22, felt differently, "It’s crazy! I have two godchildren. It’s sad, but it’s cool to see it. I think it’s good that it was separated because it’s respectful and it’s more of a sensitive issue than grown human bodies".

Most people at the exhibit found little or no ethical issues with it. "Having ethical issues with this is like the initial backlash to anatomical research. People are very uneasy about death", said ASU student Ashley Villaverde, 25. Many people were curious whom the donors were and whether families of the donors were walking around trying to recognize them. "But I guess we’ll never find out", said Suzie Olson, 57.

The only criticisms heard at the opening were the absence of The Horse and Rider (The Equestrian) at the exhibit, which had been much looked forward to, and the lack of artistic touch with the female reproductive organs as compared to the male.

Thoughtful and intriguing quotes, paintings and pictures on and about death and autopsies, gave the take-home message: live life, and embrace death.