Grossology!

Happy Valentine's Day! Here's the thing: I hate Valentine's Day. I think it's a ripoff and a scam that either exploits people in relationships (mainly men) or makes single people feel bad. I have an awesome boyfriend who is nice to me all the time, not just on a greeting card farce of a holiday. I blow my nose at you, Valentine's Day! I fart in your general direction! Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!



So guess what Francis and I did this weekend? We went to learn about boogers and farts at Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body at the St Louis Science Center. You see what I did there? Eh?



I thought that a juvenile sense of humor combined with a solid science education would render me immune to the "gross" of Grossology. A dog fart can send me into fits of giggles, but I have also been known to whip out textbooks and online citations to soothe hypochondriacs of all kinds when it comes to "impolite" science. I expected this to be a hilarious good time, but didn't think anything here was really going to gross me out.



We were felled by the second station. You see what's going on that picture? YU Stink? Yeah, the idea there is to do a sniff test of various stinky areas of the body to see if you can identify the odor. The domes contain representations of the bacteria that cause the odor. Even the Vomit Station wasn't THAT gross. And no, we didn't. We know what stinky feet and armpits smell like.



Grossology is full of all kinds of interactive learning. Above you see Francis playing Gas Attack! pinball. The objective there, I think, was to collect up enough starchy points (potatoes, beans, etc) to make a fart.



We ran into our friends Andy and Joel there, too, and I think here they are trying to shoot debris into a nose to make a sneeze. Or maybe it was just shooting boogers. By the way, the scientific term for picking your nose is rhinotillexomania. Save that for your next trivia night!



There are also lots of larger-than-life models to climb on or walk through, including a giant nose (complete with nose hairs), a digestive system slide, and a "skin" climbing wall where the hand and footholds are zits, moles, and other fun stuff. Alas, there is a height restriction on the slide and climbing wall. Kids only!



Finally, a little Action Cam featuring Nigel Nose-It-All and one of the more disgusting display boards. Since this is set to post in the morning, I won't ruin your breakfast with some of the awesome factoids posted on that back wall.



Grossology is at the St Louis Science Center through March 27th and is $9 for adults and $7 for children. I highly recommend it for 11 year old boys in particular, but as you can see, it is fun for all ages. Grossology is a touring exhibit, so if you are in another city, check this website to see if Grossology is coming to a museum near you!