'Oh Crap!' New exhibit at Canada Science and Technology Museum explores human waste

The Canada Science and Technology Museum is hosting a new exhibit called, "Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste." (Ingenium/website)

The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop.

A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, "Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste."

The museum says the exhibit, developed by the Musée de la civilisation de Québec, will invite visitors to challenge their preconceptions and discover the "world's most misunderstood, limitless resource – poop!"

"Both serious and playful, it explores every facet of human waste through the lens of microbiology, anatomy, history, and culture, as well as art, engineering and the environment," the museum said in a media release.

"The exhibition transports visitors of all ages on a journey that will entertain and amuse while sparking reflection on significant environmental and social issues we must collectively address in hopes of imagining a more sustainable future for our planet."

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The exhibit includes over 200 artifacts and archival material, videos, immersive spaces and interactives, which the museum says will give visitors the "opportunities to better understand the impact of inequalities in communities across Canada and the world, and the changes they can adopt that can help with waste management."

Visitors can look at innovative ways in which human waste is being re-used as a sustainable resource, and view "Planet Toilets," showing toilets spanning from ancient Rome to modern Japan.

According to the website, the exhibition invites visitors to "leave a souvenir of your visit in the fart room, gas analysis included."

 The exhibit runs until Jan. 5, 2025.

"The exhibition tackles important social and environmental issues in a remarkably fun, informative, fun, and clever way," Lisa Leblanc, director general of the Canada Science and Technology Museum, said in a statement.

"The management of sanitation and human biowaste are key issues of our time; more than half of the world's population does not have access to safe sanitation facilities, including safe drinking water. Offering a one-of-the-kind learning opportunity for all ages, we hope museum goers can leave inspired to take action in their own lives."

Ingenium is also introducing a new app, called "Oh Crap! On the Trail of the Golden Poops." The app takes people on a scavenger hunt in the heart of downtown Ottawa, allowing you to learn about the "fascinating yet taboo subject of human waste."