I had the chance to check out the media preview of the newest exhibition at Science World featuring skin. This new exhibit explores how evolution has shaped diversity in human skin. It presents the topics of racism, prejudice, and discrimination through the lens of history and science.
Visitors will have the chance to investigate the layers of meaning humans have associated with skin colour throughout history. You can also explore how our ever-evolving social and political climate has influenced shifting ideas of race and culture in our modern world. Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity will explore the uniquely complex organ that is skin and show how incredibly adaptive it is. Keep reading for all the details on the new Science World Exhibit – Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity.
Check out my walkthrough of the Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity below:
New Science World Exhibit – Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity Fun Facts
- In many organisms, skin is one of the largest organs: the average adult has 2m2 squared of skin (size of a twin mattress). An Indian elephant has 18m2 (a king mattress), and a raven has 0.17m2 (2 sheets of legal paper).
- The sole of an elephant’s foot can sense tremors created by an elephant herd stomping 32 km away
- Salmons’ skin can pump salt ions out or into the salmon to allow it to survive both salt and fresh waters.
- The skin on a human hand contains 17,000 nerve endings to help sense the temperature, texture, shape, and movement of everything you touch.
- Mucous glands, which aid in maintaining the water balance and offer protection from bacteria, are extremely numerous in fish skin. Fish heal faster than land animals – the mucous layer protects from scrapes and parasites. Their skin is completely living, with no layer of dead skin like land vertebrates, which helps them heal faster.
Skin was created by California Academy of Sciences and modified for travel and distributed by the Science Museum of Minnesota.
Tickets are available at scienceworld.ca and at the door. This special exhibit will run from March 3 – May 29, 2023.