Smell and culture. Scent descriptions in novels. Fragrances and class. Stink and stigmas. We cover it all. Scholar, author, and Literary Olfactologist Dr. Ally Louks burst into the zeitgeist in 2024 with her PhD thesis “Olfactory Ethics, The Politics Of Smell In Modern And Contemporary Prose” and we finally got to sit down and talk about the intersection of art and smell and culture. Breathe in the foul, the fragrant, the peppermint, the tobacco, why motel rooms smell the way they do, the forgotten organ that could control your love life, spices at the root of xenophobia, perfume ads that cruised a movement, obscenity trials, explosions, following your first love and getting the last laugh.

Follow Dr. Louks on Instagram and Bluesky

A donation went to UN Crisis Relief’s Occupied Palestinian Territory Humanitarian Fund

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Other episodes you may enjoy: Rhinology (NOSES), Gustology (TASTE), Misophonology (DISTRACTING SOUND & NOISE RAGE), Disgustology (REPULSION TO GROSS STUFF), Coffeeology (YEP, COFFEE), Black American Magirology (FOOD, RACE & CULTURE), Indigenous Cuisinology (NATIVE COOKING), Cosmetology (GLAM/GROOMING), Genocidology (CRIMES OF ATROCITY)

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Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

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Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake Chaffee

Managing Director: Susan Hale

Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth

Transcripts by Aveline Malek

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

This one’s all about lived experience: What's it like to have OCD? What’s the therapy all about? How do you support people with it? And how to accept the darkest thoughts that might haunt you. As a bonus to last week’s OCD Neurobiology episode with Dr. Wayne Goodman, the wonderful neuroscientist, board-certified mental health peer specialist, and survivor Uma Chatterjee joins to share her experience living with OCD, and how it inspired a career in research and mental health advocacy. This bonus episode is wall-to-wall heart-warming compassion and real world perspective from someone who cares deeply. OCD is a bitch, but Uma’s a gem.

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Visit Uma’s website and follow her on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky

Listen to her podcast, A Chat with Uma

A donation went to OCD Wisconsin

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Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Obsessive-Compulsive Neurobiology (OCD), Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD), Molecular Neurobiology (BRAIN CHEMICALS), Volitional Psychology (PROCRASTINATION), Suicidology (SUICIDE PREVENTION & AWARENESS), Traumatology (PTSD), Disability Sociology (DISABILITY PRIDE), Tiktokology (THE TIKTOK APP) with Hank Green, Psychedeliology (HALLUCINOGENS)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow Ologies on Instagram and Bluesky

Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake Chaffee

Managing Director: Susan Hale

Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth

Transcripts by Aveline Malek

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn

Ruminations and reassurances. Checking and counting. Suffering and stigmas. It’s OCD, babes! OCD is now considered one of the most common psychiatric conditions, afflicting 2% to 3% of the general population, and this episode is among our top-requested topics. So we snagged a top-shelf ologist: psychiatrist, researcher, advocate and OCD Neurobiologist, *the* Dr. Wayne Goodman. We cover myths, misconceptions, diagnosis and treatment options for OCD, as well as advice for loved ones. Also: PANDAS, famous folks who are helping break the silence on it, intrusive thoughts, deep brain stimulation, genetic components, links to Tourette’s Syndrome, finding the right doctor, and the behavioral therapy that is the gold standard for OCD.

And surprise! Later this week we’ll have a bonus episode on OCD lived experience with neuroscientist, mental health advocate and OCD-haver, Uma Chatterjee.

View Dr. Goodman’s publications on ResearchGate and follow him on Google Scholar

A donation went to International OCD Foundation

Find more episodes you'll like at Ologies.com

More episode sources and links

Smologies (short, classroom-safe) episodes

Other episodes you may enjoy: Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD), Molecular Neurobiology (BRAIN CHEMICALS), Volitional Psychology (PROCRASTINATION), Suicidology (SUICIDE PREVENTION & AWARENESS), Post-Viral Epidemiology (LONG COVID), Disability Sociology (DISABILITY PRIDE), Gustology (TASTE), Oikology (DECLUTTERING)

Sponsors of Ologies

Transcripts and bleeped episodes

Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a month

OlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, hoodies, totes!

Follow Ologies on Instagram and Bluesky

Follow Alie Ward on Instagram and TikTok

Editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions and Jake Chaffee

Managing Director: Susan Hale

Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth

Transcripts by Aveline Malek

Website by Kelly R. Dwyer

Theme song by Nick Thorburn