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Sneezes, burps, vomits, body odors, flatulence, poops, urination and so on are normal physiological phenomena that always happen yet embarrass many people. Interestingly, these phenomena help bring messages that enable us to better understand our health condition. Take the sneezes for example. They can swiftly rid harmful dusts and bacteria of our noses. Burps and flatulence help release the pressure arising out from too much gas stored in our stomach and large intestine, while vomits pass harmful things out of our body. And the bad smell of our mouth indicates robust activity of bacteria inside it.

Despite the fact that those physiological phenomena do us good, most people choose not to talk about them to avoid embarrassment. However, when touring the "Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body" exhibition staged at the Hong Kong Science Museum (Science Museum), you and your children will find it so interesting to study and explore the good, the bad and the downright ugly about our body's biology.

Speaking at today's (November 22) opening ceremony of the exhibition, the Deputy Director (Culture) of Leisure and Cultural Services, Miss Choi Suk-kuen, said, "The mission of the Science Museum has been to make science a fact of everyday life and to actively promote the application of science to people from all walks of life. From time to time, the Museum would make available the latest scientific research findings and communicate knowledge to the general public. Running of the Grossology exhibition is a step to take to achieve our aims."

Miss Choi stressed that Grossology would seemingly be unfamiliar to most of the people, the messages behind, however, were all about physiological phenomena which were in fact not something new. She believed that the exhibition, with the use of interactive exhibits and informative panel texts, would arouse the visitors' interest in learning human physiology and bodily phenomena.

The term of Grossology originated from Ms Sylvia Carol Branzei - Velasquez, a science teacher in California. Students in her classes are particularly interested in gross things and are fond of making jokes out of them which inspired her to educate children their bodies in language they use. Her cartoon book on Grossology also received encouraging responses and it was subsequently developed into a museum exhibition.

With 17 pieces of large-scale 3-D models of various human organs as well as animatronics that simulate different biological functions, the "Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body" exhibition at the Science Museum provides an enabling environment that allows both adults and children to have a fascinating tour of human body. To enrich the contents of the exhibition, there are bilingual, detailed panel texts, which give visitors relevant health information, as well as different cultural interpretations on physiological phenomena. The Grossology exhibition will run from today (November 22) until March 23, 2003.

The Science Museum is located at 2 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East, Kowloon. It opens from 1 pm to 9 pm from Monday to Friday, and from 10 am to 9 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. It closes on every Tuesday (except public holidays) and the first two days of the Lunar New year. The admission fee of the "Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body" exhibition is $20. Half-price concession is applicable to full-time students, people with disabilities and senior citizens aged 60 or above.

For enquiries, please call 2732 3232 or visit the Science Museum's website at hk.science.museum for further information.

End/Friday, November 22, 2002

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