Well. Ok... Sure.

[MalahatTwo7]

Bodies Exhibit Causing Controversy
Exhibit Puts Cadavers On Display

POSTED: 4:17 pm EDT April 12, 2007
UPDATED: 8:41 am EDT April 13, 2007

ARLINGTON, Va. -- A scientific exhibition that features real human bodies is set to open in Arlington this weekend but the exhibit has created some controversy around the country.

Supporters said that Bodies: The Exhibition, which puts cadavers on display, is designed to educate the public.

Watch The Report
View Exhibit (Warning: Some Might Find Images Disturbing)

The cadavers have been preserved in liquid silicon rubber, dissected and the skin peeled away, giving the public a glimpse at authentic lungs, hearts, livers, and brains.

It's an eerie and, some say, fascinating journey into the human body.

"Liquid rubber is pulled into the tissue and into the cells. Once inside, it's hardened so that the specimens become dry and odorless. You can color them or display them in any way that you choose," said Dr. Roy Glover, medical director of the exhibit.

The cadavers come to the Exhibition from China, officials said; they are unclaimed bodies, donated to a Chinese Medical School for educational purposes. The school then loaned the cadavers to Bodies: the Exhibition for an educational mission, officials said.

However, some opponents, such as a group of protestors in Florida last September, said they wonder if the families of the deceased were notified before the bodies were transformed in the exhibit.

"They did not give permission, but they are unclaimed bodies," said Glover. "The important thing to know is these bodies were legally received and are treated with a great deal of respect with how we display and educate the public."

Three million adults and 250,000 kids have seen the exhibition worldwide.

Some in the human rights community have questioned the ethics of the exhibit. But Glover maintains that the bodies were obtained legally and the subjects died of natural causes.

Bodies: The Exhibition opens Saturday at the Arlington Dome.

For more information about Bodies: The Exhibition, click here.

Copyright 2007 by nbc4.com.

The cadavers come to the Exhibition from China, officials said; they are unclaimed bodies, donated to a Chinese Medical School for educational purposes.

So what is the problem. How do you "notify next of kin" if the body was not claimed in the first place?

[Stewart46]

If you donate your body to science and know up front that it may be used like this then what is the problem? Looks kind of cool to me to see the body like that. Not something you see every day!!

[rhvfd1214]

I went to high school with some folks who might qualify as an "unclaimed body." They were not deceased, however..

If the family was offended, would they then claim the body? That would ultimately be a way to bring closure on some of these lost people. Either way, this is for educational purposes.

[hwoods]

Looks kind of cool to me to see the body like that. Not something you see every day!!

Come ride with Malahat or me..............

[Stewart46]

Come ride with Malahat or me..............

Given the chance I would!!! Some of what we see and do is exteeemly graphic and would completly gross out the average person. I have seen something like this exibit before and it might even be the same guy. He is a german Doctor if I remember correctly. When I say see I should say I saw it on the web.... Not is person! Maybe cool wasn't the right word....interesting maybe?

[DaSharkie]

Given how little people - even "educated" people - know about the human body, this is not a bad thing.

How is this different (beyond me paying for the course) from my gross anatomy course in college or PA school?

Don't like it? Don't go see it.

[mcaldwell]

I think it's fine, and maybe even a valuable learning tool, but don't necessarily like the "art" spin it gets.

I also wouldn't want to end up in the display, so I would prefer if they onyl used bodies that had consented to this specific purpose.

I am OK with donating organs to save a life, and possibly even a little science to train Doctor's or benefit mankind, but I don't want to be an "art" exhibit.

[MalahatTwo7]

Well now.... I dunno. The way I see, dead men have no worries. Not sure about the "artsy" thing either, but in the terms of "science", sure - go for it.

[tfdping1018]

If this is the same exhibit then I saw it in Chicago. It was awesome, I learned alot and it helped me remember where certain things are, such as the smaller muscles and bones. If anyone has a chance I urge you to go see it. You'll be amazed.

[rescuedawg]

It has been held over several times in New york city. I havent had the time to see it. Several of my friends took there elementary school age kids to see it. The kids cant stop talking about it.

[AZFF25]

Malahat,

This was just in Phoenix and I didn't get a chance to see it in person, only on the new's. It looks really cool, wish I would have seen it when it was here.


AZFF

[Dickey]

I saw this when it was in Minneapolis, MN.

At first I thought, "omg, these are real people." That lasted for the first 10min or so. It is sooooo cool to see each individual muscle, tendon, and nerve. Very educational. They had specimens of normal organs and then organs with tumors, cancer, or some deformity. Normal lungs vs. smokers lungs (yuk!)

Very very educational and a very awesome exhibit. If you ever get the chance, you gotta do it.

[MalahatTwo7]

Malahat,

This was just in Phoenix and I didn't get a chance to see it in person, only on the new's. It looks really cool, wish I would have seen it when it was here.


AZFF

Don't get me wrong here, I give it a "Thumbs UP" too, and would love to take a tour myself. In fact I hear that the EMS Symposium down in V-Beach (I think it is) will be hosting the "cadiver class" again this year. Unfortunately I likely wont be in attendance as Fire School will be in full swing - I hope.