Robin and I went to the Science Center to see the Body World's exhibit yesterday afternoon. We got there a little early and killed some time before our show in the "Weston Family Innovation Center" exhibit. The first thing we did was make paper airplanes. I never have been good at making airplanes and it clearly showed in the one that I made. I even had instructions to follow and it somehow ended up looking like crap. Let's just say, Robin's was the better of the two. Hands down.From there we moseyed over to Body Worlds.

Wow. All I can say is wow. I though we were going to see body after body of preserved muscles and what not, but they even had examples of our organs on display. The exhibit centered around the heart and at some stops there were little snip-its about its function.

One of the plagues talked about Broken Heart Syndrome - where too much stress, caused by grieving over the loss of a loved for example, can lead to a heart attack and worse case scenario, death.

Another one also explained why the heart makes a "lub dub" noise:

"The normal heart sound is typically described as "lub-dub." The "lub" sound is usually softer and longer than the "dub", and it is associated with the closing of the A-V valves at the beginning of systole. The sounds are also amplified by the chest, making them more audible. The sounds of the heart are only from the valves closing, not opening. The "lub" is the first heart sound. The "dub" sound is shorter and louder than the "lub" sound. It is associated with the closing of semilunar valves (aortic and pulmonary). The sound is shorter and louder because the cusps of the valves are more rigid than the mtral and tricuspid valves." (http://library.thinkquest.org/C003758/Function/Sounds.htm)

One of the coolest things on display was the nervous system - where they had laid out all the nerves in the form they would take in our body. The brain was at the top and the nerves, what looked like roots extending into the ground, trailed from underneath it.

They even had a lamb, rooster, and bear models on display.

I found the entire exhibit to be fascinating, but felt disturbed once we got to the section devoted to the stages of pregnancy. Fetuses, contained in glass cases, were on display to show the size and appearance in the different stages of pregnancy. One of them was sucking on its finger. I didn't like to think that I was actually looking at babies that were once alive, but my brother said it was very plausible they were real.

However, I did learn that babies start to grow fingernails around week four. That was cool.

After Body Worlds, we got some food at the cafeteria and then went to the "Mindworks" and "The Living Earth" exhibits.

After the Science Center, Robin and I headed downtown to Younge and Dundas because I had to catch my coach bus to St. Catharines. We stopped inside the Eaton Center where I found a pair of Sorel boots that I really like. They're waterproof, having a thermal lining in the inside, and can stand up to -40 degree weather. I didn't buy them then, but I plan on doing it sometime this week.

I really want to get back to the Science Center sometime soon and spend some more time browsing through the exhibits. It made me feel like a kid again.

Yours truly