Adventures in Anatomy is a series which will explore different parts of the body, combining science, myth, history and folklore to look at the way our understanding of them has changed through time, and the part they play in culture and the way we look at the world.

Vision Thing: the Eyes

The eye is considered the window into the soul, and vision has often been considered a primary sense. But how do eyes differ between species, and why have people believed that eyes disprove the theory of evolution? And what on earth was Issac Newton doing when he pushed a bodkin round the back of his eye to see how it worked?

Cat Irving has been the Human Remains Conservator for Surgeons’ Hall since 2015 and has been caring for anatomical and pathological museum collections for over twenty years. After a degree in Anatomical Science she began removing brains and sewing up bodies at the Edinburgh City Mortuary. Following training in the care of wet tissue collections at the Royal College of Surgeons of England she worked with the preparations of William Hunter at the Hunterian Museum at Glasgow University. Cat is a licensed anatomist, and gives regular talks on anatomy and medical history. She recently carried out conservation work on the skeleton of serial killer William Burke

don’t worry if you miss it – we will send you a recording valid for two weeks the next day

See all the events in the series – Adventures in anatomy with Cat Irving

Sep 26th 2023 8:00 pm - 9:30 pm


£5 - £10 & By Donation

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