Usefulness of Studies

I read in a local paper this morning about a local display of cadavers. Not just any cadaver, but a display of the anatomy of dead people. In essence, the cadaver is skinned, put through a process called plastination, balanced in an actionable position and put on display. These people volunteered their bodies to this cause (after their natural death of course), and the institute supposedly has paperwork to back up every one of them. The physician's name is Gunther von Hagens, and he looks just like the sort of character that would do this (see his website at http://www.bodyworlds.com/en.html).

I can understand the possibilities of the Large Hadron Collider (see last week's post), but I don't know that there is any usefulness in this study. There are plenty of medical professionals that study the human anatomy and how we can regenerate, repair, and utilize the various tissues and componenets or our body. I'm perfectly happy with giving them government or private money to do those studies (depending on the circumstances). But I think I'm more creeped out than anything by this scientific? artistic? display.

Now the study done on cell phones seems more useful to me. Let's just say I've found a new reason to wear shirts with pockets in the front.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/09/small-study-sug.html