Author: Lucy E. Hyde, Lecturer, Anatomy, University of Bristol

The human body isn’t a masterpiece of design – it’s a patchwork of evolutionary compromise

Lucy E. Hyde, Lecturer, Anatomy, University of BristolLeave a Comment on The human body isn’t a masterpiece of design – it’s a patchwork of evolutionary compromise

Our bodies are a living archive of evolution. ZCOOL HelloRF/ Shutterstock The human body is often described as a marvel of “perfect design”: elegant, efficient and finely tuned for its purpose. Yet, when we look closer, a rather different picture emerges. Far from being a flawless machine, the body reads more like a patchwork of […]

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How anatomical names can carry hidden histories of power and exclusion

Lucy E. Hyde, Lecturer, Anatomy, University of BristolLeave a Comment on How anatomical names can carry hidden histories of power and exclusion

Gabriel Falloppius explaining one of his discoveries to the Cardinal Duke of Ferrara WellcomeTrust, CC BY-SA Buried in your body is a tribute to a long-dead Italian anatomist, and he is not the only one. You are walking around with the names of strangers stitched into your bones, brains, and organs. We all are. Some […]

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The dark history of medical illustrations and the question of consent

Lucy E. Hyde, Lecturer, Anatomy, University of BristolLeave a Comment on The dark history of medical illustrations and the question of consent

They were pregnant. Some were prisoners. Others were the poorest of the poor, forgotten in death as in life. Yet dissection and depiction of their bodies have become the foundation of anatomical teaching. Cradled in the pages of anatomy textbooks are figures stripped bare, not only of skin but of identity. Eduard Pernkopf’s infamous Nazi-era […]

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