An hour inside BODY WORLDS & The Cycle of Life can change the way people see themselves in the mirror. More than 100 authentic human specimens fill the exhibit, including individual organs, transparent slices, and whole bodies. For The Cycle of Life theme, the bodies are frozen in time at different stages in life. Some show childhood, others adulthood—creating a visual timeline that shows how the body grows, ages, and matures. The specimens take on different poses to emphasize key muscle groups, respiratory systems, and intricate blood vessels, and every specimen is different: some are healthy, some show damage from disease, and virtually none of them have the ability to shoot fireballs.

This unique insight into the human body is possible thanks to a technique called Plastination. In 1977, Dr. Gunther von Hagen invented the process, which removes skin and replaces degradable cells with hard resins and polymers—allowing every body system to come into view. The Institute for Plastination, the organization behind the BODY WORLDS exhibitions, sources its specimens from more than 14,000 donors

Texas Museum of Science and Technology

Currently, the Texas Museum of Science and Technology occupies a temporary 30,000 sq. ft. space. But this offers just a taste of things to come. Once construction finishes, Austin will be home to the largest planetarium in Texas. The new 157,000 sq. ft. facility will also showcase interactive science exhibits as well as a technology center dedicated to Texas' innovations.