The World is Our Classroom: Learning from the Discovery Times Square Body Worlds: Pulse Exhibit

This article is part 3 of an ongoing series entitled “The World is Our Classroom: Learning from….” where we highlight places, events and cultures around the globe that inspire us. Many of the “features” in this series are on our bucket list. Others are places, events and cultures we have actually visited. And some are be cultural events from around the globe that simply inspire us. As a parent, part of the secret to learning from the world for us, has been the research involved to gain a cultural and historical reference before having the experience. Full immersive learning as a family has been the most rewarding way for both Miro and I to learn. Therefore, approaching the world as our classroom is the most effective tool we have for expanding our understanding of the world and how we relate to it. Often times, either I, or Miro and I together, research a place together as we plan for our future adventures around the globe.

One of my roles as Miro’s parent is to serve as his guide and partner in learning. Through this partnership, we discover new ideas within the context of travel and explore how these experiences relate to our own lives. Additionally, I continue to be an integral part of Miro’s feedback loop, allowing him to process and express his own reactions to the world around us. This has become one of the milestones of our parent-child relationship and has contributed to our close relationship.

The next feature in our The World is Our Classroom: Learning from…. series we are going to take a look at the controversial Body Worlds exhibit that’s been making its rounds across the world. Miro and I saw the first version of the exhibit in Los Angeles in 2005. We were recently talking about the experience and with a little research, we realize there is a new exhibit right now in New York called Body Worlds: Pulse which we are considering attending later this year.

Throughout the exhibit’s history, it has been fought against, heavily criticized, and widely protested. It may even be an exhibit some parents may choose to shy away from, Miro and I are excited to explore it once again. The Body Worlds exhibit offers an intense (educational) experience that people of any age can find inspiration from.

The Body Worlds in the Making

Meet Gunther von Hagens, creator of the controversial process known as plastination. This process became the foundation for traveling Body Worlds exhibition. In the late 1970s, the German anatomist invented this technique used to preserve cadavers for further study. Without this invention, the unique Body Worlds exhibits would never have been possible.

The Exhibit’s Many Controversies

All of the Body Worlds exhibits have been under fire by several different groups. People from a wide variety of backgrounds actively protest the display, for not only because of their religious beliefs, but also from medical, ethical, and legal standpoints. Catholic leaders and Jewish rabbis have made it publicly known that they object to the exhibit. They claim that Body Works demonstrates a lack of reverence for the human body. Von Hagens does not agree with those viewpoints. To the contrary, he considers the exhibit to be an honor to the human body, not a show of disrespect. Miro and I both agree.

Exploring the Body Worlds: Pulse Exhibit

Each of the Body Worlds exhibits takes on a different theme. Body Worlds: Pulse is about the story of the human body in the 21st Century. As the newest in the series, this particular exhibit demonstrates the latest developments in von Hagen’s plastination technique.

The Body Worlds: Pulse exhibit focuses on displaying the potential within the human body and the vulnerabilities as well. There are displays that show bodies in distress and others showing them in health. It reinforces the thought of living life mindfully, finding meaning in it, and promoting vitality. The exhibit embodies a rich multimedia experience, intriguing metaphors and progressive storytelling, inviting each visitor to create their own narrative of the experience. Both Miro and I are anxious to explore this show first-hand.

Important Take-Away Lessons

In spite of the many controversies surrounding the exhibit, Body Worlds: Pulse offers many important lessons to all who attend. It goes without saying, one cannot help to learn a little about the human biology and serve as an immersive anatomy lesson. Through the highly visual and multimedia experiences, attendees become familiar with the many parts of the body and how they function.

But more importantly, the exhibit also inspires everyone to contemplate life around them a part of the greater system. Our lives and our bodies somehow have a deeper meaning through this experience. I am certain that many walk away from the show with newly found resolve and appreciation for their own existence.

Body Worlds: Pulse is open to all ages. The exhibit is yet another way to help children explore and learn about the world in which we live and the bodies that allow us to have that experience.We recommend you purchase tickets online for the Body Worlds: Pulse exhibit here..  As a parent, this exhibit is the perfect opportunity to guide your children, expand their minds, explore deeper and push the boundaries and have an immersive learning experience together.

Be sure to read all of the articles in this series here:

The World is Our Classroom: Lessons from the Arc de Triomphe

The World is Our Classroom: Lessons from Buckingham Palace