10/16/2003: Colossal colon on tour

Just what you were hoping for? Thanks to axlrosen for sending this along. It's 40 feet long, 4 feet tall, and was created with the help of an actual colonoscopy. It's the Colossal colon. It's coming to a town near you. And the point is to introduce you to how the colon works, by allowing you to move through it.

See, normally parts of you might be digested and absorbed, which is not helpful to the learning process.

Once inside, you can see things like cancer and Crohn's disease and polyps and, well, literally the whole nine yards.

Apparently you travel in the right direction and there is no sphincter model to poot you out as you leave. Pity.

Ummmm kay.

Is it just me or does that guy look way to excited to be crawling through a life sized colon?

Originally posted by Undertoad
[B]and was created with the help of an actual colonoscopy.

Does the person whose colonoscopy was the basis for the model get any credit??? :cool:

All I can think is, it'd be a great complement to the giant walk-through heart at the Franklin Institute.

DAMNIT! Did I really fucking miss this? They were in Philly two weeks ago! I don't pass up too many opportunities to explore the innards of humans - the drive to D.C. may be worth it.

*hehe* I've heard of this before, but never with such ... interesting picture. Lovely. A gastroentestinists dream, eh? (spelling may be incorrect)

and then leave you with the Riddle of the Sphincter

the missing sphincter:(

Originally posted by Undertoad
introduce you to how the colon works

"These are the metal rings that keep your colon from collapsing. And the little square cutouts in your colon, demonstrated *here* and *here*, allow material to flow freely to and from your abdominal area."

Edit: Sorry, I thought the tunnel was made of flexible material. Looks like it's hard plastic.

I missed it. Ok well I missed it by a lot. I live in Chicago and it looks like it was last spring.

Too bad I missed it. I have Crohn's disease. I would love to have released a little anger on the Crohn's model.

So, tell me, after going through this, does one feel like shit?

Originally posted by dar512
I missed it. Ok well I missed it by a lot. I live in Chicago and it looks like it was last spring.

Too bad I missed it. I have Crohn's disease. I would love to have released a little anger on the Crohn's model.

I get to kick the shit out of the ulcerative colitis section (had my colon removed in 1990...and yes, I did intend the pun).

You can never have too many opportunities to visit a long lost internal organ...

Originally posted by breakingnews
DAMNIT! Did I really fucking miss this? They were in Philly two weeks ago!

Yep...it was sitting across from my job, over at LOVE Park. I kept meaning to go over there (it was under a big tent), but never got around to it. And it was sitting next to the fountain...from what I heard, people liked it so much when the fountain was turned pink by vandals over the summer that officials decided to dye it pink this month for cancer awareness.

Now, will the city fill it with soap or foam for Xmas, because people thought that was great when vandals did that too (about a month before they turned it pink, from what I remember)?

It has changed in hue though--it was more of a hot pink until earlier this week, when it became more of a carnation pink.

From listening to the organizers on WHYY a few weeks ago, apparently the colon had been given/earned a nickname--CoCo (COlossal COlon), but the people in charge don't want it used--they want people to talk about colons out in the open. You know, it's not dirty, don't feel ashamed or embarrassed, etc. etc.

Okay...fair enough. Ladies and gentlemen...

I HAVE A COLON!!!

Thank you.

Originally posted by daniwong
Ummmm kay.

Is it just me or does that guy look way to excited to be crawling through a life sized colon?

Maybe he was a gerbil in a previous life.:rolleyes:

Originally posted by lhand
So, tell me, after going through this, does one feel like shit?

Ha ... ha ...

Originally posted by sycamore


[b]I HAVE A COLON!!![/B]

Can I borrow yours sometime? I occasionally miss my own...

I HAVE A COLON!!!

Only one? I have several, Brut, Canoe,.......;)

I would feel too much like the hamster in Mr. Garrison's class that got put into Mr. Slaves colon.

Oh, jesus christ...

Funny story.

Originally posted by xoxoxoBruce
Funny story.

Hence, the terms...."flammer", "flaming ass hole", and "don't light a match".:p

Although I feel bad for Raggot:(, I couldn't help but laugh my ass off picturing this whole fiasco.:biggrin:

At least in the end, poor little Raggot got his final revenge.

Where's PETA when you need um?:confused:

Next time, assuming there *will* be a next time, I hope they try an M-80 instead of an innocent little gerbil.:angry: