This year, the Nancy Museum-Aquarium is highlighting a subject that is often delicate, sometimes worrying, and yet fundamental to human and animal life. In an approach combining science, health, art and humor, adolescents and adults are invited to better understand death and to place our species in the cycle of life. On the program: a Death exhibition from April 13 to November 24, 2024 and programming throughout the season.
Death and its causes
Ø Predation – On the one hand: the predator, which must regularly eat other animals, and uses a hunting technique to do so. On the other side: the prey, which tries not to be hunted, and can with this in mind choose to flee or use a defense technique.
Ø Aging – Over the years, cells end up no longer being able to divide. Senescent cells then appear. These cells, damaged but not replaced, produce toxic residues for the body, which can cause pathologies.
Ø Illnesses and accidents – Faced with illnesses, humans develop three forms of response: avoidance (hygiene), protection (vaccination) and healing (treatments). Faced with accidents, humans develop public policies, often accompanied by prevention messages.
Ø What is longevity?
Average longevity: average lifespan that an individual of a species can expect to live
Potential longevity: maximum lifespan that an individual of a species can live, under ideal conditions
Death and after?
Ø Management of the corpse – For humans, the public will be able to carry out a simulation to personalize their burial with a choice of: coffin or urn. The opportunity to know a little more about what happens to the body after death. For pets, this part will discuss the rights and prohibitions around the bodies of our favorite companions.
Ø Degradation of the body – A space to learn everything about the evolution of the body after death: the decomposition process, the carbon cycle and the conservation of bodies. The public will then discover the scavenging insects present on the Death poster and which participate in the decomposition cycle. He will learn more about when they appear and how they can help medical examiners determine the date of death.
Ø What do we leave behind? From five stories imagined with the public, everyone will discover what each character leaves behind. Whether it is children and grandchildren, memorable memories, the creation of clothing, scientific research or the making of herbal teas, each person will have left a mark for those who remain.
Practical information :
The Nancy Aquarium Museum is open from Tuesday At Sundayof 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. then 2 p.m. to 6 p.m..
Closed on Mondays, 1er January, 1er May and December 25.
Entry fee
