Stanford's involvement in the new exhibit didn't end when the exhibit opened for business on March 18, however. An Exploratorium staff member will ponder simple math problems and view different colors while undergoing a MRI scan in real time. Changing colors on the scan will indicate increased oxygen flow, correlating with areas of neuronal activity that are stimulated by performing the different tasks. The Visible Human Project owes its existence to two actual human cadavers. The cadavers, one male and one female, were frozen immediately after death, encased in gelatin and infused with latex before being sliced vertically into paper-thin sections that were then digitally photographed.
Visitors can flip through the sections like the pages of a book.
In order to show changes in medical technology and the changing attitudes and knowledge about our bodies, the exhibit includes anatomic aids from days gone by. The medical Venus is a life-sized wax figure from Italy, formed in the 1700s. In graceful repose, the wall of her abdomen has been peeled back to reveal her internal organs. A skeleton of a tuberculosis victim from the 18th century and a wax representation of the face of an individual suffering from syphilis round out the gruesome yet educational display, which is promising to be a popular attraction. The Exploratorium is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, and until 9 p.m. every Wednesday.