September 11, 2011

Burial alternative

Where they do the deed.
While reading a breezy article about burial alternatives, I was struck by this:
Much like mummification, plastination involves preserving the body in a semi-recognizable form. Invented by anatomist Gunther von Hagens, plastination is used in medical schools and anatomy labs to preserve organ specimens for education. But von Hagens has taken the process one step further, creating exhibits of plastinated bodies posed as if frozen in the midst of their everyday activities. According to the Institute for Plastination, thousands have signed up to donate their bodies for education and display.
That makes my blood run cold. Not the idea itself (though it's bad) but that innocent-sounding phrase about donating your body for "education and display." Whoah, Nelly. Who controls where my body ends up? If society dives any more rightward, my plasticized body could end up in a Noah's Ark Park display one day. No way that's gonna happpen.

Anyway, plastination seems like a crummy idea. Why add more non-degradable junk to the landscape? And just think -- the junk would be us.

4 comments:

Anna Guess Pick said...

I still favor the Soylent Green alternative - but on a volunteer basis only.

Det. Thorn: I know, Sol, you've told me a hundred times before. People were better, the world was better...
Sol: Ah, people were always lousy... But there was a world, once.
[Thorn chuckles]
Sol: I was there, I can prove it! When I was a kid, you could buy meat anywhere! Eggs they had, real butter! Not this... crap!

writenow said...

You've got the movie memorized? Very cool. It sure was gritty and their lives seemed awful. Dog knows what's ahead for us all.

Anna Guess Pick said...

Memorized?! Heavens I don't even have my phone number memorized...

writenow said...

I couldn't remember my email address the other day. I hardly ever write myself so it doesn't come up.