Carnegie Science Center Statement about
ABC 20/20 Program on Feb. 15, 2008

After viewing last night’s report on ABC’s 20/20 about “body” exhibitions, Carnegie Science Center stands by its decision to bring BODIES…The Exhibition to Pittsburgh. We saw nothing in the 20/20 report that we consider new or credible information.

Nearly a year before we decided to bring this exhibition to Pittsburgh, we convened an advisory panel from the community to review all of the possible community concerns, including origin of the specimens. The group worked diligently and thoughtfully on this issue and ultimately felt assured that the bodies in the exhibit were people who died from natural causes and that were acquired by legal means. We were in touch with members of this panel after the 20/20 program last evening, and continue to be committed to our original position.

The 20/20 program attempted to cast doubts on the origins of the specimens in BODIES and made innuendos about how the bodies were obtained. Ultimately, we believe the report was sensationalized and designed to draw viewers in during the sweeps rating period.

The legal documentation provided to Carnegie Science Center by Premier Exhibitions states that all of the bodies within the exhibition are unclaimed, unidentified bodies from China that died of natural causes and all died at least four years ago. Again: there was nothing in the 20/20 report that makes us doubt the legitimacy of this documentation.

We knew that not everyone would agree with our decision to bring the exhibition here. There is no denying that the exhibition has generated controversy for its use of real human bodies. But it is part of our mission – and the overall mission of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh – to stimulate community conversation and intellectual discourse. From the beginning, this exhibition has served as an important catalyst for conversations about health, medicine, science, society and the human condition. That continues.

More than 8 million people have seen the exhibit worldwide – more than 150,000 here in Pittsburgh. We have received overwhelmingly positive responses from all types of visitors: families with children, school groups, medical professionals and many others. Their comments speak to the unsurpassed educational experience this exhibition provides.

Carnegie Science Center reaffirms its belief that BODIES...The Exhibition is unquestionably a powerful educational experience, and we are proud of our role in bringing it to Pittsburgh.

To see Premier Exhibitions response to the program, please click here.