Welcome back, Bright Lights Beyonders! This week, Lexie and Andie sit down for the first interview of Season 5 with Dr. Sandra Langeslag, a researcher who studies the interaction between cognition and emotion, particularly as it concerns romantic love.Dr. Langeslag breaks down why there is no single “love hormone” or one brain region, but a whole network of systems working at once. She shares a surprising reframe: romantic love can function like a motivation, similar to hunger or thirst, which helps explain why it can take over your attention and feel impossible to ignore.Plus, Dr. Langeslag explains how love can be regulated more than we think, from building connection in long-term relationships to easing the pain after heartbreak.Check out Dr. Langeslag’s article on the misconceptions about romantic love here: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/5/383And keep up with her research through the Neurocognition of Emotion and Motivation (NEM) Lab Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/p/NEM-Lab-at-UMSL-100063612248624/---------------------------------------------------------------------We welcome you to follow our Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@brightlightsbeyond⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and get aquatinted with our website https://brightlightsbeyondthepodcast.squarespace.com for all new content from us! music: slow-mo dream Rob Kelly & Duncan Pittock/ microcosm - Tom Quick