The Secret World Inside You

Two groups of families interact with a table projection of a woman with details of microbes inside the body
Your body is brimming with microbes—trillions of them. In this traveling exhibition, explore the ecosystem that is the human microbiome. 

Technological advances over the last few decades have revolutionized our understanding of the role of microbes in human health. Although many of us have been taught to fear microbes, only a tiny percentage actually make people sick. As scientists navigate this growing field of research, we're finding ways we can work with microbes to make our lives better than ever. 

The Secret World Inside You is an engaging introduction to the amazing ecosystem that is the human microbiome. 

Highlights

Visitors will find out what microbes are, where they live, and why they are so crucial to our lives through larger-than-life models, digital interactives, and a live theater presentation. 

A family interacts with a projection table
This immune response interactive challenges visitors to keep the virtual microbiome healthy in three scenarios.
D. Finnin/© AMNH
A dark room is filled with hundreds of colored twinkle lights that reflect across mirrored walls
This light room gives visitors a sense of the vastness of the microscopic universe living on and in you.
D. Finnin/© AMNH
Overview of part of an exhibition gallery including large circular graphics, giant models of bacteria, and an interactive table projection of a woman
The Secret World Inside You explores the trillions of microbes that live on and in our bodies.
D. Finnin/© AMNH
Visitors gather around a 14 foot projection of a woman's body with interactive elements about microbes
The exhibition features a 14-foot projection of a woman’s body as part of an interactive table that highlights ways that microbes impact human health.
D. Finnin/© AMNH
In front of a giant model of microbes attacking bacteria, three teenagers play a game at an interactive station
Visitors can test their knowledge of what types of cells the immune system should attack or not at an interactive station. 
R. Mickens/© AMNH
A family looks at informational spinners and a model of a human comprised from many small spheres
Millions of microbes enter your digestive system at every meal. Visitors will discover some of these microbes and what role they play.
R. Mickens/© AMNH

 

Key Questions

  • What are microbes?
  • What is the human microbiome?
  • What factors influence our microbiome?
  • How is the microbiome reshaping our view of human health?
  • How do scientists study the microbiome?

Reviews

"Entertaining teaching games, quizzes, whiz-bang animation and compelling visual effects." — The New York Times

"The more we learn about what lives within us, the more we understand how the natural world affects our own wellbeing." — Livescience.com

"...The latest science on how this microbial world affects our health is rarely presented in an accessible, engaging way, or in a format that's easily digestible. This exhibit changes that." — Dr. Matt McCarthy, Statnews.com

Request More Information

Contact us to request availability for hosting this traveling exhibition. 

Contact Us »

The Secret World Inside You brochure

Exhibition Brochure

Download »

swiy_mini_edguidecover

Educator's Guide

Download »

Browse More

  Unseen Oceans Explore the depths of the world's oceans through the lens of 21st century technology.   The Nature of Color Explore the many roles of color in the natural world and across human cultures.

The Secret World Inside You is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (amnh.org).