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Inside Story
Institute of Physics
16 November 2005
New website explores the Inside Story of the human body
Ever wondered what happens to your brain when you fall in love? – or watch your football team score a goal? Ever imagined what the inside of a bum looks like? – or, more seriously, questioned how a tumour is treated? Discover the answers to these bodily questions at the Institute of Physics and Medical Research Council’s new multimedia website www.insidestory.iop.org
Launched on 16 November 2005 as part of Einstein Year, www.insidestory.iop.org is an entertaining yet educational website aimed at 12-16 year olds which enables teenagers to explore the inside story of the human body and learn about the techniques used in cutting edge medical research.
Clever web techniques allow you to take on the role of a medical specialist with state-of-the-art tools at your fingertips. Whether you’re nosing around in a large intestine or scanning the inner workings of a brain, www.insidestory.iop.org is the ultimate way to discover what it’s like to look inside the human body.
There are four exciting areas to explore: MRI Scans examining how the brain reacts to actions such as laughing or crying, PET scans studying body processes and how they change through time, Radiotherapy targeting and destroying deadly cancerous tumours and Colonoscopy using a miniature camera to look inside a bottom.
Each section is presented in a visually stimulating way, making it fun and easy for visitors to navigate their way around the site. For example if the user clicks “love” in the MRI Scans screen, an animated man will purse his lips for a big kiss and the appropriate region of the brain will light up showing scientific facts. Within Radiotherapy, kids can play a game where they learn how to treat a tumour by pretending to destroy it with beams.
Mr Jonathan Rees, surgical research fellow at the Medical Research Council, said: “www.insidestory.iop.org is an excellent educational website that teaches the value of physics in medicine. It really encourages teenagers to get to grips with the technologies used in the diagnosis and treatment of many conditions which impact on human health.”
Rachel Heath, aged 15 years old, commented: “I think the website is great! It has some nice pictures and graphics, especially the brain scan ones – that’s definitely my favourite section!”
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