Grossology
BY LEON NIGROSH
July 2005 - For years, the EcoTarium has espoused, explored, and
displayed lofty ecological and scientific concepts with Kenda the polar
bear, the Alden Planetarium, a pair of rare Bald Eagles, and its exclusive
Treetop Walkway and it has enhanced the city’s cultural scene with
its summertime Jazz at Sunset series. But now, at long last, the EcoTarium
(forever The Science Center to long-time locals) has gotten down and dirty
with a new traveling exhibition, “Grossology: The (Impolite) Science
of the Human Body.”
This dynamic group of displays delves into the mysteries of (please excuse
my French) pee, poop, burps, farts, snot, and boogers ~ among other bodily
functions. And it’s not just for kids. This exhibition is based
on the writings of internationally known teacher and microbiologist Sylvia
Branzei. Her concept is that if we teach students in their own words,
they will better understand scientific concepts. There are nearly a dozen
different stations along the way in this interactive set-up, starting
with the oversized toothy mouth entryway. Remember the boxed game “Operation,”
where you had to get body parts out of the patient without setting off
the buzzer? Well, “Grossology” has a lifesized version with
3-D spleen, heart, brain, and so on. It’s fun and yucky all at the
same time.
Then there’s the nine-foot tall guy you pump full of air until he
lets out a gigantic eructation (that’s a belch, to you uncouths).
The “Look Inside” display methodically explains how food is
processed as it passes through the digestive system – or as it’s
put in plain words, “In one end and out the other.” Press
different buttons to light up various body parts at the colorful “Upchuck
Center” and you’ll discover the necessary order of things
if “upchucking” is what you want as the outcome. There’s
also a kids-only climbing wall that is an oversized fiberglass replica
of human skin. Youngsters get to crawl across magnified pimples, scabs,
warts, and moles.
Noteworthy trivia is plastered on the walls throughout the exhibit, too.
We learn important facts like your mouth is the most unsanitary part of
your body (playing home to more than 100,000,000 micro-creatures at any
one time), adult skin weighs about seven pounds, 70 out of 100 people
admit to picking their nose, and fresh urine is cleaner than spit or facial
skinbecause there’s no bacteria in it. This final tidbit of information
brings us to one of the most popular displays in the show, “Urine:
the Game.” Matching video games set up a competition so that two
players can compete to see who can score the most points by separating
the good stuff from the bloodstream and sending the bad stuff into the
urinary tract. The game starts off slowly and then winds up to a fever
pitch ~ with, of course, accompanying biological noises. Overseeing the
entire show is the ninefoot tall Professor Nigel Nose-It-All, an animatronic,
bathrobed talking sink faucet that answers questions about nose conditions
such as allergies, runny noses, and more. While he may tell us more than
we really want to know, his erudite explanations are occasionally interrupted
by a large drop of snot escaping from his nose.
Last but not least is the “Y U Stink” station, a line-up of
several nozzles from which different odors are emitted. This is where
parents might want to take a moment to experience the wonder of discovery
through their children’s nostrils, not their own. Place a nostril
over the tube, squeeze the container, and guess whether the odor comes
from an armpit, a foot, a mouth, or a butt. Trust me; do not try this
at home.
“Grossology” really does teach some very interesting facts
about the human body ~ and it’s just the right combination of creativity,
science, grossout and giggles.
Where: EcoTarium, 222 Harrington Way, Worcester
When: Through Sept. 4
Contact: 508-929-2700 or www.ecotarium.org
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