'Oh Crap!' New exhibit at Canada Science and Technology Museum explores human waste
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."
- Sign up now for our daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
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."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ontario gave parents more than $1B in cash over 2 years. Here's where the money went
During the pandemic, the Ontario government started to hand out cash to parents to help offset the cost of at-home learning while schools were shuttered.
Ambassador says interactions with Russia 'quite limited' but 'not unfriendly'
Canada's ambassador to Russia says while Ottawa has 'grave concerns' about the Kremlin's 'longer-term trends,' the war in Ukraine is 'a primary barrier to a change in the relationship.'
One dead, 26 wounded in overnight shooting in Ohio: reports
A shooting on a street in Akron, Ohio, killed one man and wounded 26 other people early Sunday morning, according to reports by local news outlets.
Bathroom break nearly derails $22 million project at city council meeting
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.
South Korea vows 'unbearable' retaliation against North Korea over its launch of trash balloons
South Korea said Sunday it’ll soon take retaliatory steps against North Korea over its launch of trash-carrying balloons across the border and other provocations.
Do this once a month and extend your life by up to 10 years. No gym required
Research shows that art experiences, whether as a maker or a beholder, transform our biology by rewiring our brains and triggering the release of neurochemicals, hormones and endorphins.
Lanny McDonald and a few old Flames take the Stanley Cup on a surprise visit to the man who saved his life
The Stanley Cup was passing through town Friday, and Lanny Legend took it upon himself to take it for a surprise visit.
Mass parachute jump over Normandy kicks off commemorations for the 80th anniversary of D-Day
Parachutists jumping from Second World War-era planes hurled themselves Sunday into now peaceful Normandy skies where war once raged, heralding a week of ceremonies for the fast-disappearing generation of Allied troops who fought from D-Day beaches 80 years ago.
Chad Daybell sentenced to death for killing wife and girlfriend’s two children in jury decision
Jurors resumed deliberations Saturday on whether a man should be sentenced to death after being convicted days earlier of the murders of his wife and his girlfriend’s two youngest children in Idaho.