Google Body Browser
Are you curious exactly where some body part with a latin name is? Are you wondering the name of a part of your body that's hurting? Well, Google does for the body what it did for the internet - makes it searchable.
You will have to have a bleeding edge browser installed - either a beta version of Firefox or Chrome will do (the link above will give you links to these installers). Once installed, you see a picture of a person - no big whoop. But then start playing with the sliders. As you move the slider, various parts of the body become transluscent, then disappear so you can see other systems.
At the bottom of the slider bar is a pair of buttons, one with one dash and one with three. Click on these and you get finer control over what you see in the body. Instead of the whole body fading in and out, you get control over what systems you see. So you can dim out the skin, nerves, and circulatory system, leaving the muscles and bones.
Search for "semitendinosus" and it'll highlight that one part of the hamstring that gives me all kinds of trouble. Click and drag and it'll rotate the image for you. Are there nerves that run through there? Just slide the nervous system slider back some and the nerves become visible. (hint, you'll have to slide the muscles somewhat transparent so you can see the nerves below them. Also, click the X in the search label to make the rest of the image 'active').
As a professional software developer, I just look at this and say: "Damn, that is some FINE" work. As someone who has lots of aches and pains but not a degree in exercise physiology or Latin, I say "Thanks guys!". That being said, it's still a little rough, definitely a pre-version 1 product.
I can see this becoming a key tool for docs, PTs, and chiropractors...and triathletes!
Mike
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