The investigation of the human body seems to be a critical element of the endless search for the meaning of life.

The Body worlds 2 exhibit at the Museum of Nature and Science has been popularly advertised as being a state of the art presentation of the inner workings of the human body.

The exhibition shows multiple rooms of cadavers that have been stripped of their skin, drained of their fluids, and filled with a newly invented plastic substance.

This plastic, after being injected into the arteries and organs, stays flexible for about one year so the creator has time to shape the bodies into dynamic poses that accentuate specific muscle groups.

By seeing the different postures, a viewer is able to understand the different workings of each muscle and its relationship to the rest of the body’s movement.

The exhibit has presentations ranging from the portrayal of a skateboarder in mid ai, to a neatly sliced-open woman carrying a three-month-baby in her womb. Though extremely interesting in projection and creativity of poses, I found the exhibit to be a slight letdown.

For the amount of publicity and attention given to such a presentation, I imagined a more extensive, graphic representation of anatomy that felt more real.

Surprisingly enough, the bodies resembled a beef jerky-like consistency rather than a human one. Viewers reviewed the exhibition as being highly educational and revealing of the elements in each of our bodies.

Many adults considered Body worlds 2 an appropriate show for children, and accompanied their 3-or-4-year-old kids to this informative, yet explicit exhibit.

Although extremely scientific, Body worlds 2 also has an element of art in it. Examining the details of the corpse, a person can see how the creators of the project put great effort into assuring a five o’clock shadow on a male cadaver’s face, and even included hair and wrinkles in appropriate places on bodies.

The combination of art and science makes the production appealing to a large audience. Generally the presentation is successful in enlightening the Denver community about the way we would look if we were sliced open, or into pieces.

Seeing the Body worlds 2 exhibit will elevate consciousness about the inner workings as well as the option to donate one’s own body to such a cause.

Would you be willing to donate your body to be filled with plastic and showed to thousands of gawking critics? Think about it.