Beijing exhibition brings digestive science to life

An interactive European science exhibition on digestion opened at the China Science and Technology Museum in Beijing on Tuesday, offering the public an immersive experience focused on gut health.

The exhibition, inspired by the bestselling science book Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ by German microbiologist Giulia Enders, was jointly developed by multiple science centers from several countries, with academic support from the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment in France.

During its tour across Europe, the exhibition received widespread recognition, attracting a total of 3.5 million visitors. The China Science and Technology Museum has introduced the exhibition as part of efforts to explore new ways to bridge the gap between professional scientific knowledge and the general public.

The exhibition integrates original anthropomorphic illustrations by German illustrator Jill Enders. Visitors follow a themed route and, much like food itself, experience the digestive process from start to finish, exploring the mysteries of the gut at both micro and macro levels.

It features a giant mouth installation, seven video installations and nine interactive experiments. Visitors can assemble a seven-meter-long model of the intestine, handle simulated stool samples and take part in mock sterile laboratory procedures.

Running through August 16, the exhibition marks expanded exchange and collaborative innovation between Chinese and international science museums, aiming to enhance public scientific literacy.