Dr Ally Louks

All the studies on canine olfaction are like “Dogs can detect bombs! drugs! tumors! and they MIGHT even smell what you’re thinking” and the studies on cats are like “Your cat can distinguish your scent from some stranger’s, but that doesn’t mean they like you”

Have been working absurdly long hours lately, but still making time to get outside. Today’s walk was straight out of Pride and Prejudice.

How AI-generated sexual images cause real harm, even though we know they are ‘fake’ Publicly bombarding women with these images exerts control over how they present themselves online.

I wrote an article for @theconversation.com on how philosophy can help us understand the deep harms of AI-generated sexual images, e.g by Grok on X, as well as other digital misogyny like assault in virtual reality. #philsky #philtech

theconversation.com/how-ai-gener...

Enshittification this, enshittification that – nobody talks about the process of unshittification that is editing.

I’m working on two big projects: an academic book based on my PhD thesis and a public-facing book called Under Your Nose: The Pleasures and Politics of Smell to be published in Spring 2027. Also lots of smaller academic articles about smell in various respects! Thank you for asking ☺️

Hello, friends! I am back and will be making a concerted effort to post regularly on here, because the other place is truly hideous. I have a huge platform there and will continue to use it for good, but it will be nice to spend more time in sunnier climes if you’ll have me!

Have just logged in here for the first time in months and cannot believe I missed this! Thank you so much! I’m honoured 💖

It is with great regret that I spend little time on this platform, but I am so glad to see that other people found that article as silly as I did.

I would recommend Huang Xuelei’s work! Mine is largely focused on the Global North

Maple is perhaps the most doted upon dog in the world. Thank you for asking about her!

Should anyone want to read my reflections on causing a stink and going viral, my article with The New Statesman is linked below: t.co/Hnqmzhz2DE

Lots of very exciting things are in the works though! ☺️

As you might imagine, I’m also fielding a lot of emails, messages, press enquiries, and trying to keep up with all the comments all over the place (though that’s an impossible task), so I’m spread a bit thin at the moment, but doing my best to keep up!

Hi all. I couldn’t be more delighted that so many people have showed enthusiasm towards my work and I would love to share more with you as soon as I’m able, but right now my first priority is my students. I also need to get some sleep 😅

A little too early for my purposes but will definitely give it a read! Thank you for the suggestion :)

This is new to me and I’m still learning!

In this case, I think it’s an issue of methodology (and I’m puzzling over it myself) rather than terminology or lenses :)

That I also refer to non-fiction prose is indicated by the use of ‘largely’ :)

Over there, it has to be Dr Ally Louks

This made me smile from ear to ear.

I’m familiar with Jas’ work, but will have to look up Claire. Thank you for these suggestions! You work sounds absolutely brilliant - would love to talk when things die down a bit.

There are multiple forms of disgust. I think the most pertinent here is moral disgust.

Thank you, Barry!

I promise you the latter required much less effort 😅

I would love to see this.

I wonder this too! ‘Layman’ is not derogatory and your insights are valid.

Honestly, my survival mechanisms were not engaged.

It is, in chapter 4.

I make an argument about the specific value of literary smell studies in the thesis. Some of the texts I use are non-fiction (hence the term ‘prose’ rather than ‘fiction’). The answer to your third question is a straightforward ‘no’. The final question would need breaking down to give you an answer.

Did you swallow a thesaurus before writing this?