According to a new study published in this month’s issue of Psychological Science, apologies are decent mile-markers in people’s arguments but they don’t really make the receivers feel much better.
Using a test in which subjects were slighted by being shorted money, researchers were able to ascertain that people who imagined getting an apology from their betrayers were notably happier than people who actually got an apology. What’s more, those who envisioned apologies themselves were more likely than counterparts who’d received an apology to trust their partners in a subsequent test. In essence, soothing yourself works great, but relying on others to soothe you is a bad idea.
“The expectations for an apology to make us feel better and even forget about the bad things that have happened are overestimated,” says study co-author David De Cremer of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University. “In light of fraud cases, the financial crisis, the moral escalation that people seem to witness in contemporary society, there is a cry for apologies, such that we seem to live in an apology culture.”
The only consistent real benefit to apologies, the study found, is that they are reliable ways to restore social order. Apologies and the acceptance of apologies are largely a scripted dance in today’s society, so people often feel compelled to go along with them whether or not they honestly feel better about anything.
Maybe we should focus on sincerity more than simply whether or not someone says the words “I’m sorry.”
California’s Department of Housing and Community Development established this pilot program in 2019. Its goals were straightforward: to make homeless shelters more accommodating to people with pets – mostly dogs – so that people living on the streets don’t have to choose between staying in shelters or abandoning their pets.
The program disbursed US$15.75 million between 2020 and 2024 to 37 organizations across the state. The funding allowed shelters to build kennels or other pet-friendly spaces, provide pet food and supplies, and offer basic veterinary care. It also covered the costs of staffing and maintaining insurance required to operate pet-friendly shelters.
We found that the program helped 4,407 people experiencing homelessness keep their pets while getting support. Many were able to enter shelters, and their animals received needed veterinary care. A total of 886 people ultimately moved into permanent housing with their pets – a higher success rate than the statewide average for homeless people in California.
Theoretically, this funding should have reduced the number of pet owners living on the streets. Yet since 2019, the year the program began, the number of homeless people in Los Angeles with dogs and other pets has increased.
Since 2017, I’ve led the USC research team that produces the annual homeless count estimates for Los Angeles. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires this exercise for any city seeking federal funding for homelessness services.
Before the pandemic, we generally found that roughly 1 in 8 people did. We also found that nearly half of homeless pet owners had been turned away from a homeless shelter because it couldn’t accommodate their animal.
Despite programs like California’s Pet Assistance and Support program, my research team has found that the share of people living on the streets of Los Angeles who say they have a pet increased to roughly 1 in 5 by 2025.
Need for more pet-friendly programs
We still don’t know why the share of homeless people with pets has gotten so much larger.
The Weingart Tower, where some of Los Angeles’ formerly homeless people reside and receive social services, has a small dog park. Grace Hie Yoon/Anadolu via Getty Images
The number of homeless people in Los Angeles has fallen by more than 4% since 2023 to just over 72,000 people in 2025. But based on my research findings, I would expect the number of people living on the city’s streets – with and without pets – to rise over time unless more affordable housing becomes available.
And growth in the homeless population may be hard to avoid without more efforts like California’s Pet Assistance and Support Program – on a larger scale than the pilot we studied.
A common saying among pet owners is that the hardest thing about loving a dog is saying goodbye. Having a senior dog, especially one raised from a puppy, can be difficult not just because of the inevitable, but also because the pet may be going through age-related ailments or disease before crossing over. It’s a hard thing to experience anyway, but especially when you remember how they were in their prime. Well, veterinary scientists are testing a daily pill that extends a dog’s lifespan while also maintaining their quality of life.
Loyal, a biotech company based in San Francisco, has been trying to develop anti-aging drugs for dogs ever since it was founded. After years of research and testing, they have developed LOY-002, a beef-flavored daily prescription pill for senior dogs aged 10 and older that weigh over 14 pounds. Early testing shows that the pill can add years to a dog’s life, especially larger breeds.
What does this dog lifespan pill do?
The pill interacts and manipulates IGF-1 (Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1), a hormone that’s key to a dog’s cellular growth and metabolism. IGF-1 helps a dog grow in both size and calorie consumption. This hormone helps make young puppies become strong adult dogs. However, it also continues and accelerates aging at a cellular level when a dog is fully grown.
This explains why many larger breeds of dogs tend to live shorter lives than smaller ones. Their IGF-1 levels are higher. It moves them faster towards age-related diseases and discomfort than smaller dogs.
By reducing the excessive IGF-1, LOY-002 reduces the speed of a larger dog’s biological clock. It doesn’t just make them “feel” younger. Slowing everything down adds years to their life and curbs the risk of age-related organ dysfunction, disease, and early death. After thorough testing, LOY-002 cleared two out of the three sections of acceptance before being fully vetted by the Food and Drug Administration.
“Since founding Loyal six years ago, my goal has always been to get the first drug FDA approved for lifespan extension. This safety acceptance brings us very close to achieving that vision,” said Loyal Founder and CEO Celine Halioua. “We are well on our way to bringing the first dog longevity drugs to market.”
How can a senior dog live longer?
Should Loyal receive that final approval, the LOY-002 drug should go to market before the end of 2026. However, veterinarians and dog care experts have some tips on how to help your older dog live longer and healthier.
Visit your dog’s veterinarian often for checkups and keep them notified of any changes in their behavior. They may recommend a specific diet for your dog at their advanced age. Similar to humans, older dogs are encouraged to follow a healthy diet. They should exercise regularly (through walks or playtime) to keep a healthy weight and keep joints strong.
If your dog has joint trouble, your vet may recommend some supplements to help the dog’s mobility and comfort. No matter the issue, it is best to consult with a veterinarian before making lifestyle changes for your dog.
Such advice can help both you and your dog live full lives together. It may also add a few more years of furry companionship along the way, too.
What if you were stuck in a time loop of doing the same thing over and over again for eternity? What would you want that thing you’re doing to be? This idea was posed by @jaredraygilmore on his Instagram. Jared Ray Gilmore suggests this question is a quick and easy way to get to know a person on a date, in work relationships, and even with friends.
He believes the answer provides a lot of information about both a person’s value system and the things they don’t like. As thousands of people shared their responses, what flooded back suggests a seemingly harmless question quickly shifts once you actually imagine living it.
Frederick Nietzsche’s philosophical thought experiment
The premise offered by Gilmore holds deep and powerful roots in historical philosophy. Friedrich Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher who shared profound critiques about morality, individualism, God, and conventional values.
In his book The Gay Science, Nietzsche proposed the idea that a person’s entire life could repeat infinitely, playing out the same way each time. This thought experiment, called “eternal recurrence,” he considered a metaphysical fact and one of his most important philosophical discoveries.
People ponder positive memories versus living an undeniable nightmare
As people began to share their own thoughts about Gilmore’s proposed topic, many comments reflected pleasant nostalgia and appreciation for life’s simple loves.
“First thing that came to mind was having breakfast with my husband in our breakfast nook, the side window open for the cat, and the dog resting at our feet.”
“Garden, I’d be in the garden. Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, repeat.”
“Going to the beach and enjoying the waves, laughing with my fiance and friends”
“Have deep conversation with people that are making groundbreaking advancement in their field of passion.”
Yet, others rejected the premise immediately and found the whole idea somewhat horrifying.
“Whatever you’re choosing, even if that’s THE thing you’re absolutely fan of, is gonna be an absolute nightmare to do at one point.”
“pushing a rock up a hill”
“I’m legitimately at a loss for what would be my ideal loop because everything that comes to mind scares me a bit.”
“This would be just hell to me as a person with ADHD. I love my hobbies but I could never do one on a loop for eternity.”
People rely heavily on routines because they offer stability. A 2025 study in Springer Nature Link found that individuals use routines to gain more than pleasure. The small sense of control over their lives creates a comforting predictability for what to expect during the course of a day. Repetitive behavior reduces cognitive workload.
A 2024 article in WebMD revealed that routines create structure, reduce stress, and improve mood. A lack of routine generates more behavioral and emotional difficulties. Giving the brain predictable patterns reduces fatigue from daily decision-making.
However, people find the idea of living even a perfect day over and over, difficult. A 2025 study in Sage Journals showed that repeating the same day yields feelings of boredom and a lack of meaning. An eternal loop doesn’t feel infinite. A repeated experience will eventually collapse into a dull distortion of time.
The value of thought experiments like the “eternal loop”
Hypothetical questions can be interesting to explore. Especially when they’re big, existential questions about life and the universe. A 2025 study in Frontiers showed people like to think about meaning in life and feeling influential. However, it was difficult to measure whether a person felt their life was actually significant.
A 2024 study in the National Library of Medicine found existential questions about life, purpose, and death are considered important. This was consistent whether people found them uncomfortable or helpful.
Gilmore’s “eternal loop” question rapidly split responses. While some imagined it comforting, others found it unsettling. Science demonstrates that routines are beneficial, but people adapt quickly to repeated experiences. Something that feels great at first can eventually lose its meaning. At the same time, studies show that existential questions like this can help people identify what matters most to them.
