Milanese businesswomen Lorella Zanardo made a short documentary critiquing the sexist depictions of women on Italian television. That documentary - Il corpo delle donne (Women's Bodies) - is available to watch online (with subtitles) here.
posted by stinkycheese on Dec 15, 2009 - 27 comments

"All of which is a long way of saying that, to construct a new church of anatomical horror and to do so out of stone, as Al-Mehdari seems to be suggesting, is a fascinating idea. " - Body Baroque
posted by Artw on Sep 23, 2009 - 24 comments

Watch the skull “explode” and reconstruct! Zoom and spin the torso to expose a little or reveal everything! Get a grasp of the inner workings of the human shoulder! Get inside this head! Interactive three dimensional views of various anatomical structures.
posted by flapjax at midnite on Dec 11, 2008 - 14 comments

If I Were You: Perceptual Illusion of Body Swapping. Expanding on previous experiments, researchers discover how to induce a "body-swap" illusion, whereby subjects perceive the body of another as if it were their own.
posted by homunculus on Dec 4, 2008 - 22 comments

What happens when we leave behind cosmetics and societal norms to modify our bodies and minds to enhance who we are and what we can do? In this talk, journalist Quinn Norton explores how technology and flesh are coming together.
posted by Hypocrites on Aug 23, 2008 - 10 comments

Fascinating 3D renderings of different processes inside of a human body. Yes, the style is quite similar to The Inner Life of The Cell, but this one is different. Dissolving of the pills was definitely entertaining. It would be great if a doctor could comment on the other processes that are displayed.
posted by Surfin' Bird on Jul 9, 2008 - 14 comments

Carl Zimmer's Science Tattoo Emporium - "Underneath their sober lab coats and flannel shirts, scientists hide images of their scientific passions. Here they are revealed to all." From the science journalist and writer responsible for The Loom and numerous other published works.
posted by Blazecock Pileon on Apr 8, 2008 - 33 comments

The pancreas is a completely crummy organ...... so which parts of the human body could you design better? Interesting article and comments.
posted by Rumple on Nov 3, 2007 - 71 comments

From a short distance the male figure almost appeared to be napping among the hummingbirds and squirrels, draped as he was over the pebbled ground. But something about his peculiar pose evoked a sense of grim finality– the body language of the deceased.
posted by punkfloyd on Nov 2, 2007 - 44 comments

News stories about washed up body parts are quite rare, which makes the latest case off Vancouver even more unusual.
posted by Neiltupper on Sep 1, 2007 - 61 comments

Virtual Out-of-Body Experience. Using two procedures to deliberately scramble a person's visual and tactile senses, neuroscientists are able to induce "out-of-body" experiences in people. The effect is the same as the 'rubber hand illusion', but extends the effect to the whole body instead of just one limb (you can try the hand illusion for yourself).
posted by homunculus on Aug 24, 2007 - 11 comments

Body of art "Viruses, blood, and x-rays of bones and viscera can be at once unsettling and enticing." [via]
posted by dhruva on Oct 30, 2006 - 11 comments

Dr. Crippen. He poisoned his wife, buried her in the basement, and then escaped with his female lover disguised as man and son aboard a ship. Then there was Patrick Mahon, who chopped up his mistress and stashed her in a trunk at Waterloo Station, among other places. The connection between these two men? Aside from addressing the problem of how to dispose of a body, they inspired Rear Window.
posted by Astro Zombie on Sep 12, 2006 - 10 comments

Historical anatomy models were a marriage of art and science. From about the 13th to the 19th centuries, exquisite wax models were the state of the art. Florence's La Specola anatomical wax museum houses the works of master artists, such as Ercole Lelli, Anna Morandi, and Clemente Susini. The later years of wax models tended towards the grotesque: moulage and depictions of pathological conditions and physical anomalies. Due to the labor required and delicacy of wax models, papier-mâché became the favored production method in the 19th century, partly due to the ability to dissect the models. Over time, models became more stylized to protect the delicate sensibilities of the public. Today, models are again shocking the public with extreme realism.
posted by madamjujujive on Aug 30, 2006 - 18 comments

Plundered body parts implanted in thousands A macabre scandal in which corpses were plundered for body parts could be even bigger than previously disclosed, with one company alone saying it has distributed thousands of pieces of human tissue that authorities fear could be tainted with disease....But the company noted here is not alone. The People’s Republic Has Long Been Suspected of Selling Organs From Prisoners. Now One New York Doctor Knows the Rumors Are True. But since there is a great need for parts, and money to be made, others also are getting into this flourishing business too. And parts can serve other purpose . But for quick insights, go to EBay
posted by Postroad on Mar 19, 2006 - 32 comments

Body Image Relates Differently To Sexual Risks Taken By Men And Women. Males with positive body image may seek multiple sexual partners and engage in unprotected sex. Women, on the other hand, may use the confidence that comes from a positive body image to resist multiple partners and insist that a condom be used when they do engage in sex.
posted by semmi on Mar 16, 2006 - 48 comments

Bad tattoos. More bad tattoos. Bad tattoos - don't let this happen to you! And, uh, this. And previously: Hanzi Smatter. Some pics, though no direct links, are NSFW.
posted by milquetoast on Jan 28, 2006 - 59 comments

17 Minutes is a performance and video blog project by new media artist Chris Barr. It's about suicide. [MI]
posted by sjvilla79 on Nov 22, 2005 - 7 comments

An*l Bleaching Cream ... courtesy of the Village Voice. (no photos, but one would have to say, NSFW)
posted by R. Mutt on Jul 13, 2005 - 55 comments

"If you love someone, you want to give something of yourself to them... Go big or go home you know?" Show that special sweetie of yours that you care with the magic of mutual self-mutilation. Really, how often were you using that ring finger, anyways?
posted by Simon! on Jul 8, 2005 - 31 comments

Body Art. (NSFW) Martin Armand gives a whole new meaning to the term "anatomical art" with his airbrush paintings on bare skin. Five galleries of photos: the first page only links to a few larger images, but the rest of the galleries work fine. More bodypainting here (E-cards site, but very cool images), here (very nice "camouflage" body art), here (especially artistic) and via this previous MetaFilter thread. But remember; if you worky, no clicky the linky!
posted by taz on Jun 2, 2005 - 10 comments

Naked body letters. Um... letters made out of naked bodies. Obviously not safe for work, but really more artsy and "nude" than even erotic. K, T and C are particularly nice, for example.
posted by Shane on Jun 10, 2004 - 7 comments

It's Dinner Time. You know what that means: Hairy chests. [geisha asobi poss. nsfw] Mmmmmm... I'm salivating like Pavlov's dog just looking at it! What's that? You're in the mood for hairy backs? [e.blort] Why, Bill Cosby from Ghost Dad would be proud! (Whoever else has seen that movie gets a free... flowbee.)
posted by Stan Chin on Aug 26, 2003 - 28 comments

Body sushi by Gary Arabia. (SFW)
posted by xmattxfx on Aug 19, 2003 - 61 comments

The Reverend Bunny's Secret Henna Diary. Sssh! Don't tell anyone, but this is a fascinating site featuring tips and tricks, and a nice gallery of images annotated by background information, image sources, history, and interesting anecdotes.

You can also find free patterns here, both traditional and non-traditional.
posted by taz on Jun 15, 2003 - 7 comments

Sure I'm insensitive, but you're fat. This jabeep may be on to something -- has our hot-or-not culture done away with all pretense of looking further than skin deep? fat may not be a "moral failing" anymore, but our growing national waistline doesn't seem to slow continued mockery of the non-slim...can't we be gorgeous ingenue hotties too, not just funny sidekicks? (via Bifurcated Rivets)
posted by serafinapekkala on May 1, 2003 - 128 comments

I Feel, Therefore I Am. Consider the work of Dr. Antonio Damasio, humanist and neuroscientist, who has turned the Mind and Body debate between René Descartes and Benedictus de Spinoza upon its head--or at least the heads of Phineas Gage and one Elliott--via his research and writings such as The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness, Descartes' Error: Emotion, reason, and the human brain and Looking for Spinoza: Joy, Sorrow, and the Feeling Brain. He's influenced writers like Ian McEwan and David Lodge, and via his thoughts on the perception of music, inspired a composition. (More Inside)
posted by y2karl on Apr 19, 2003 - 21 comments

Henry the Hand - bet you didn't know that Handwashing Awareness Week is right around the corner - Dec. 8 - 14. Let Henry the Hand teach you how to prevent your hands from turning into dreaded Germ Weapons. Henry travels far and wide to spread his message, but you can download the theme song and order reinforcement tools right from home! brought to you as a public service message
posted by madamjujujive on Dec 5, 2002 - 13 comments

Previously discussed here, the Body World exhibition in, London, Brick Lane is hosting what is to be the last publicly performed autopsy before they are banned. I've seen the exhibition and felt that it was done very well, but I'm not sure ill be attending the autopsy with as much haste. Macabre voyeurism or lay man intrigue? Its being rumored that is may also be televised on channel 4
posted by monkeyJuice on Nov 19, 2002 - 15 comments

Big Brother dances with joy.
posted by Beholder on Oct 18, 2002 - 34 comments

The male species has it easy. Feminist magazine Amp meditates on whether women should hover or plonk when they go to the bathroom. "It's like learning how to whistle. You have to learn how to position your lips for the best results." This article isn't work safe. In fact I'm not sure if it's safe at all.
posted by feelinglistless on Oct 18, 2002 - 30 comments

As soon as they get him in the grave, he'll no doubt start spinning. Here's a rather unsettling report about recently deceased baseball great Ted Williams' family fighting over the body. Cloning is mentioned. Via Salon.
posted by BGM on Jul 7, 2002 - 2 comments

The mind-body divide in medicine, whether having medicine embrace the understanding of the psychological aspects of symptoms of pain, for example, is simply a matter of working toward medicalizing psychology. How much is the brain and psychology taken into account in the medical profession?
posted by semmi on May 6, 2002 - 8 comments

Offended academic smashes German doctor's "Plastination" exhibit in London "I decided I would walk into the exhibition with a hammer and smash up the most expensive exhibit to make the point that you cannot turn bodies into commercial exhibits." This exhibit was discussed on March 21.
posted by planetkyoto on Mar 29, 2002 - 29 comments

Cooking Your Placenta! "The practice of eating placentas was also fashionable in the 1970s ... but its popularity has since declined." Plus, some yummy reciepes! Not hungry? Make some art with your placenta.
posted by skwm on Dec 17, 2001 - 30 comments

Unhappy with the shape of your bottom?
No problem, get yourself a wonderbum, a new product that "lifts, separates and shapes"
posted by twistedonion on Oct 10, 2001 - 10 comments

Just FYI, it's entirely possible for a human to survive exposure to the vacuum of space for a limited time without any permanent damage -- as long as you expel all the breath from your lungs to avoid an embolism. Horrifying scenes of sudden explosive decompression or immediate freezing are, as far as I can tell, a myth. (In other words, Mission to Mars got it wrong, 2001 got it mostly right. But that's no surprise now, is it?) Link via BadAstronomy. Love that site.
posted by brownpau on Aug 23, 2001 - 16 comments

Skinless wonders... "Art or anatomy? An exhibition of flayed corpses in Berlin has been greeted with popular acclaim and moral indignation." They plastinate ("a vacuum process in which biological specimens are impregnated with a reactive polymer") and pose the bodies, which they get from various places, including a Siberian madhouse. The show is coming to Britain.
posted by pracowity on May 20, 2001 - 11 comments

Frozen body falls from plane en route from Moscow
Pretty sad story when you think about it, that someone could be so desperate to get to a better world that they would attempt something so dangerous.
posted by tomcosgrave on Sep 18, 2000 - 10 comments