Science of Abortion Now Open!
- Abortion Museum
- Dec 5, 2025
- 6 min read
We’re honored to announce the opening of The Science of Abortion exhibit, a comprehensive, science-grounded exploration of human life in its earliest stages and the medical procedures that bring that life to an end.
This exhibit unites two major sections, The Science of Life’s Beginning and The Science of Abortion and Medicine, to give visitors a complete picture of both the remarkable biology of early human development and the clinical realities of abortion.
In The Science of Life’s Beginning, guests will discover the astonishing complexity that unfolds from the moment of conception. Here, visitors learn how a genetically complete human organism begins as a single cell, rapidly divides, implants, forms organ systems, and develops heartbeat, brain activity, and responsiveness within weeks. This section highlights the continuity of human life, showing that the embryo and fetus are not potential beings, but living human individuals at earlier stages of growth.
In The Science of Abortion and Medicine, the exhibit turns to the procedures themselves, medical and surgical methods used to terminate a developing human life. Through scientific explanation and medical analysis, visitors will understand how chemical abortions work, how surgical procedures such as suction aspiration and D&E are performed, and how advances in neonatal medicine (including ECMO, surfactant therapy, and modern NICUs) continue to push the threshold of viability earlier than ever before.
Together, these sections reveal a unified scientific story: the womb is a place of extraordinary development, and abortion interrupts a complex, living human process already well underway. Through biological evidence, medical insight, and ethical reflection, The Science of Abortion invites visitors to examine what truly happens in both life and loss, and to rediscover the enduring truth that every human life, from conception onward, is sacred.
Science of Life's Beginning
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The Science of Conception and Fetal Development
The exhibit begins with ovulation, the release of a mature egg, and fertilization, the moment when a sperm unites with the egg to create a genetically complete human zygote with a full set of DNA. From that single cell, a complex cascade of development begins: rapid cell division leads to the formation of a blastocyst, which implants in the uterine wall, then undergoes differentiation as cells specialize and organize into tissues and organs.
As the embryo progresses through the embryonic stage (weeks 4–8), foundational structures take shape, the beginnings of the nervous system, heart, limbs, and other major organ systems. By weeks 9–12, the fetal stage begins, and the tiny human begins to resemble a newborn in miniature: organs continue maturing, and basic physiological functions get established. Over the second trimester and into the third trimester (up to birth), the fetus grows steadily, developing distinct features, internal organs, and the vital systems required to survive outside the womb. Throughout this entire process, what began as a single fertilized cell remains one continuously developing individual, a human organism whose growth, from conception through fetal development, reflects an unbroken biological continuum.
The Case for Life Beginning at Conception
This section argues that from the moment of fertilization, when sperm and egg unite to create a genetically distinct zygote, a new, unique human organism comes into existence. That single-celled zygote, carrying a full human genome distinct from both parents, meets the biological criteria of a living organism: it metabolizes, grows, divides, and develops in a continuous, integrated process. Because that organism is genetically human, distinct, and has the capacity to mature through the full stages of human development, proponents assert that its life begins at conception, not at a later embryonic or fetal milestone.
From this biological foundation flows the “modern pro-life philosophy” argument: if life begins at fertilization, then every stage of development, from zygote to embryo to fetus, represents the same individual human being at different stages, not different “potential” lives. Consequently, aborting that life at any point ends a human life. Thus, abortion cannot be fairly framed as the termination of mere “potential,” but rather as the termination of an actual human being. This view often appeals to scientific and medical literature (e.g. embryology textbooks), reinforcing that the transition from a single-cell zygote to a fully formed human being is continuous and cannot be morally segmented into “less-valuable” stages.
The Beginning of Human Consciousness and Personhood
In this section, the exhibit explores when and how human consciousness, and with it, personhood, might begin. It notes that while consciousness in a full adult depends on coordinated brain structure and function, modern research into fetal and infant neurodevelopment suggests that some primitive form of consciousness or experience may arise before birth. Studies of fetal brain connectivity and early patterns of neural activity raise the possibility that rudimentary awareness may emerge during late gestation, rather than only after birth.
At the same time, the exhibit acknowledges that consciousness and personhood are not purely scientific, but also philosophical and theological. Many Christian traditions teach that every human being is endowed with a soul or personhood from the moment of conception, making the developing embryo or fetus morally equivalent to a born child. Proponents of this view argue that the continuous biological development from a zygote onward means there is no clear dividing line: the same individual persists, growing in complexity, and deserves moral respect from conception.
Together, the section invites visitors to consider life, consciousness, and moral worth on a continuum, biologically, neurologically, and spiritually, rather than as a series of discrete thresholds. It encourages reflection on whether personhood depends on brain-based consciousness, or on the inherent dignity of human life from its earliest beginning, and what that means for how we view and treat prenatal life.
Science of Abortion and Medicine
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Viability and Advances in Neonatal Medicine
This section begins by examining what “viability” means: the point at which a fetus (or newborn) has a reasonable chance of surviving outside the womb, with modern medical support, rather than simply being a potential life. Advances in neonatal medicine over recent decades, including improved incubators, respiratory support, surfactant therapy, and sophisticated neonatal intensive-care protocols, have dramatically lowered the gestational age at which survival is possible.
As a result, some infants now survive being born as early as about 21–23 weeks’ gestation, although survival is often uncertain and comes with a high risk of serious complications. For babies born at 24–25 weeks, survival chances improve substantially; for instance, in some neonatal-care settings survival rates climb significantly by 25 weeks gestation. Nevertheless, even with cutting-edge care, many of these extremely premature infants face long-term health challenges, and outcomes vary widely depending on factors such as gestational age, birth weight, and the quality of medical care available.
Within the exhibit’s framing, this evolving medical context is then linked to a pro-life argument about abortion and human life. The fact that medical science constantly pushes the boundary of viability earlier, showing that some humans can live outside the womb with support at very early stages, challenges the idea that a certain gestational age reliably marks the beginning of independent life. Instead, the “viability line” becomes more fluid, which the exhibit suggests undermines arguments that justify abortion based on fetus-in-utero dependency. By highlighting how many preterm infants can survive, albeit with medical intervention, the exhibit calls into question the assertion that life before a certain point lacks moral or human worth.
The Abortion Process
This section explains how abortion procedures work, beginning with medical abortion, in which two drugs are used to end an early pregnancy by blocking vital hormones and causing the uterus to expel the developing child. For later pregnancies, the exhibit describes surgical abortion, including suction aspiration and Dilation and Evacuation (D&E), where the fetus is removed through a combination of suction and medical instruments.
The section concludes with Abortion Victim Photography, presenting the physical reality of these procedures through images of the embryos and fetuses after abortion. These photographs are included to help visitors understand not only the clinical process, but also the human cost involved in ending a developing life.
Ethical Challenges in Modern Science
This section explores how modern scientific advancements, such as prenatal genetic screening, stem-cell research, IVF practices, and gene-editing technologies, raise profound ethical questions about the treatment and value of early human life. While these tools offer significant medical benefits, they also create situations in which embryos or fetuses may be selected, discarded, or altered, challenging society to balance scientific progress with respect for human dignity.
The exhibit also examines the tension often framed as women’s rights versus fetal rights. While acknowledging the importance of supporting women facing difficult pregnancies, this section argues that affirming a woman’s autonomy should not override the inherent rights of the developing child. By highlighting both scientific capabilities and philosophical questions of personhood, the section invites visitors to consider how a just society can uphold the dignity of women while also protecting the most vulnerable human beings in their earliest stages.
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