💀 The body-odie-odie-odies are here

It’s Wednesday, Boston.

⚽ It’s also game day, baby! The U.S. is set to take on the Netherlands at 9 p.m. tonight in the Women’s World Cup. Here’s how to watch on TV and the best bars to catch the big game.

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Bye bye Bergy

• If I was a rich girl

• Take a hike

Up first...

THINGS TO DO

Out of this Body Worlds

How does our happiness impact our health? That’s the nut the new Body Worlds: The Anatomy of Happiness exhibit in Boston is trying to crack. And they’re using real human bodies to do it.

Here’s what to know:

😃 Happiness may be an emotion, but its impact is physical. Yes, it’s technically the result of neurotransmitters and hormones flooding the body. But there's plenty of research showing that if you’re satisfied with yourself and your life, you’re less likely to get sick, and more likely to live longer. Which explains why “there are good reasons to have a close look on what happiness is, how it’s generated inside of you, and how you may be able to influence your happiness,” said Dr. Angelina Whalley, the exhibit’s curator.

💀 We see the physical manifestation of happiness on the human bodies on display. The bodies are preserved through a process called “plastination” (invented by Dr. Whalley’s husband) where essentially, water and fat in cells are replaced with polymers like silicone. It allows the permanent preservation of human tissue and allows the specimens to be presented in an artful way. The bodies on display look like sculptures dancing, exercising, and more, just with muscle. And over 20,000 people worldwide have chosen to donate their bodies to the exhibit.

🤔 The goal of these exhibitions is for people to think more about their health. And in some cases, it’s worked. They conducted a survey six months after one exhibition to see how it impacted people’s lifestyles choices, and 90% of respondents said they would quit smoking, 30% said they would eat healthier food, 25% said they would exercise more. “It really changes people’s view of their insides,” Dr. Whalley said.

🦴 And using real, human bodies is crucial to making that happen. “Everything is only possible because you have certain organs inside you,” said Dr. Whalley, “but as a layperson, you don’t have the chance to realize how intricate that is.” Although the ad images of the exhibit may seem like a wacky science experiment, according to Dr. Whalley, many people leave the exhibit deeply moved, some even in tears.

👀 Want to see for yourself? Boston.com put together a video on the exhibit here. Admission starts at $29 and the exhibit runs through January 9.

TOGETHER WITH NOBEE

It’s almost September 1, Boston!

🏢 Struggling to find a new place for September 1? Before you move back in with your parents, remember there’s a new (and cheaper) way to find apartments this summer. Boston-based rental agency Nobee offers a ton of beautiful apartment options, and their business model allows you to save, on average, 50% on broker fees. Here are some of your top offerings:

1. SOUTH BOSTON | 4 Beds | 2 Baths | $4,795

2. NORTH END | 3 Beds | 1 Bath | $3,900

3. MISSION HILL | 2 Beds | 1 Bath | $2,795

To find more spots around Boston, download the app here.

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

😵‍💫 It’s an emotionally complicated moment for Boston sports fans. Let’s start with the bad news: Patrice Bergeron has retired. The Bruins captain played 19 seasons with the team, scoring 1,040 points in 1,294 career games with the B’s. It’ll be a major hole to fill. The good news: Jaylen Brown is staying with the Celtics. The two-time All-Star agreed to a super max, five-year contract extension worth $304 million, which is set to be the richest contract in NBA history.

🎓 Surprise: It’s easier for rich kids to get into Harvard. In a twist that everyone saw coming, research from Harvard economists confirmed the country’s most elite colleges tend to favor wealthy students over less affluent ones, even when they have similar grades and test scores. For example, a low-income student with a 1,500 SAT score might have a 10% chance of getting into an Ivy. But a student from a top-earning 1% family with the same SAT score has close to a 40% chance.

🙄 It’s a messy stretch for local elected officials. In addition to being more than three weeks past the deadline of passing the state’s budget, state lawmakers just delayed a vote on a massive gun control bill, with leaders blaming the impasse on the Senate. And on top of the all the City Council drama of late, councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson admitted Tuesday to violating the law by hiring family members to paid positions on her staff — the second councilor to admit violating a conflict of interest law.

🍕 A new Cambridge restaurant is all about sharing. The folks behind SRV and The Salty Pig are set to open Gufo, an Italian spot with Mediterranean flair, later this week. Its menu is broken up into bites, shared plates, pizza, and pasta, so you can have a little taste of everything. Stay tuned for next month for the opening of Gufo’s café, where they’ll be serving house-made pastries and sandwiches, like mortadella and stracciatella on focaccia.

QUICK QUESTION!

👀 Do you think colleges should get rid of legacy admissions?

TOGETHER WITH REV’D

Giveaway alert!

🚲 We’re giving away a $139 giftcard to Rev’d Cycling! To be eligible, refer a friend below and have them accept your invite between July 24 and 27. If you have already referred a friend to B-Side (and they’ve accepted), you're eligible! Full details below*

ONE LAST THING

Take a hike

Did you know you can take a 27-mile hike without leaving the Boston area?

Like many people, Miles Howard spent a lot of his free time on walks during the pandemic using the Boston area trails that were available. But after trying San Francisco’s Crosstown Trail, which connects both sides of the city, he thought: Why not do that in Boston?

Enter: The Walking City Trail, a 27-mile hiking trail stretching through 17 neighborhoods around Boston. The unofficial trail starts in Mattapan and ends at Bunker Hill, offering gorgeous views of the city skyline and parks along the way.

While the trail needs city and state approval before it’s legit, Howard and other hikers are adding temporary signs to advertise and track its usage this summer. So keep an eye out!

🚶‍♀️ Thanks for reading! Well, I know where my next hot girl walk will be.

🎻 The results are in: While more than 50% of respondents to yesterday’s poll are on board with musical performances on the Blue Line during rush hour this summer, they’d like to remind the MBTA to “ALSO fix the slow zones, please.”

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected].