‘A bridge between theory and practice’

You can control the movement of a skeleton placed in a glass case by poking a part of its brain. Or see another one imitate you ride a bicycle to help you understand how bone joints coordinate to make you peddle.

You can control the movement of a skeleton placed in a glass case by poking a part of its brain. Or see another
one imitate you ride a bicycle to help you understand how bone joints coordinate to make you peddle.

HT Image

If this is not appealing enough, then walk through the centrally placed model of a heart and hear it beat at the ‘Human and Machine’ gallery at the Nehru Science Centre, Worli.

Inaugurated on Monday, the 565-sq-m gallery comprising 45 exhibits focuses on how the human body functions and compares mechanisms in the human organs with various machines invented by human beings.

“Our education system is very structured. The gallery is hence a beautiful bridge between theory and practice,” said Dr Ravindra Bapat, Vice Chancellor, Mahatma Gandhi Mission University of Health Sciences.

“We learn about reactions and experiments. But this is a place to experience and find out how organs function. Besides, common man must also get a hang of medical practices,” added Bapat.

Besides interactive computer kiosks, simulations and machines, the gallery has some real specimens of organs donated by medical colleges as well as prosthesis and other equipment that is used to replace affected body parts.

The purpose of the gallery is to attract young talent to pure science.

Addressing an auditorium packed with school children, secretary, ministry of culture, government of India, Jawahar Sircar said: “India needs scientists as much as MBAs and technologists that we have in plenty. We are exporting them and getting back dollars. But unless you take up the dream of pursuing science, we might have to get scientists from Bangladesh, Fiji or Cyprus.”