Human specimens on display at new exhibit in Halifax
The Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History’s newest exhibit may get under your skin.
Body Worlds Vital offers a glimpse into the hidden world of human biology with a jaw-dropping display of donated bodies and body parts.
“We have our bodies with us all our life," explained Dr. Angelina Whalley, exhibition curator. "It’s the very basis of our existence, but you never have the chance to really see firsthand what you are made of."
The museum hosted a different Body Worlds exhibit in 2018 which was met with an overwhelming response, said manager Jeff Gray.
"That show was still the most popular and most visited exhibit we’ve ever had at the museum," said Gray. "This one is even larger with more to see."
Organs, muscles, and skeletal structures are among the pieces on display.
The cadavers are frozen in time through a process called plastination which removes water in cells and replaces them with a polymer-like silicon.
"The entire process takes about 1,500 hours and one year to accomplish one full body specimen," said Dr. Whalley.
The exhibition has been met with controversy in the past - questioned by some for its moral and ethical practices.
"There are a lot of people who come and might be uncomfortable with some of the things that they see in the exhibit," said Gray. "However, I think that’s a personal choice and up to them to make that decision."
All of the specimens are from a body donation program maintained by the Institute for Plastination in Germany. There are currently more than 20,000 registered donors from all over the world.
"People sign up during their lifetime to be part of it," said Dr. Whalley. “We are very grateful for their contribution.”
The exhibit shows comparisons between what certain lifestyle and health choices have on the body. It also provides a glimpse into what common conditions look like below the surface.
"You can see a smoker's lung next to a non-smokers lung," said Dr. Whalley. "You can also see lung cancer. You can see what osteoporosis and arthritis looks like. These are all things that so many people suffer from but hardly have an idea of what it might be."
After seeing the display, Dr. Whalley says visitors often leave with a new perspective on what it means to be human.
"The body is the only place we have to live," said Dr. Whalley. “It’s our lifelong responsibility because whatever we do, or don’t do, it matters."
Body Worlds Vital is on at the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History from January 27 to April 30.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.