Glucagonlike peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications have taken over the national conversation around weight loss, nut new research from Rice University suggests the social reality may be more complicated.

Why do we often recall events as lasting longer or shorter than they did? New research by UCLA psychologists shows that dopamine signaling at event beginnings may stretch time in our memory. A key dopamine-producing area of the brain — the ventral tegmental area — was activated when volunteers participating in an MRI scan detected the start of a new event. When this dopamine hub activated more strongly, people later reported more time had passed. The finding suggests that dopamine plays a role in breaking lived experience into meaningful segments that can be stored as memories.

Researchers identified a pathway in the rat brain that plays a role in evaluating social signals and making decisions to approach stressed pups or avoid stressed adult peers.

Boston University led research examines how older women experiencing homelessness navigate life on the streets and in emergency housing shelters, and how those environments affect their physical and emotional well-being, their sense of self-worth, and their path toward stable housing.