On November 27th, 2023, X user Dr. Ally Louks posted a picture holding her PhD, which she had just defended with no corrections at Cambridge University. The title? “Olfactory Ethics: The Politics of Smell in Modern and Contemporary” Prose”—which drove the internet crazy.

Ranging from misogynistic comments to people claiming there was no difference between modern and contemporary literature, far too many people with no expertise in the field felt compelled to comment on the work of a Cambridge PhD graduate. The overwhelming response had a somewhat positive effect as days went on, with Dr. Louks’ PhD thesis becoming perhaps the most widely seen and discussed thesis outside of academic circles.

In time, this expansion beyond the borders of academia proved itself to be a good thing, with the principle of “Olfactory Ethics” being consistently applied in day-to-day life by social media users. In the weeks following the original blow-up of Dr. Louks’ post, users have been pinpointing examples of her thesis topic in both media and real-life situations, using the picture from the original post to underline the point when it is raised.

Although some may call it a “trend,” the fact that the thesis title is still making its rounds months after the original post, and arguably, this widespread application of such a literary principle is the precise intent of academia. Individuals engaging with a PhD thesis so widely and with such a genuine curiosity is an unseen phenomenon—one that was impossible until social media became as omnipresent as it is today.

Despite the positive turn the discourse around Dr. Louks’ thesis took as time went on, the situation brought to light causes for concern that have been overlooked for arguably too long. The severe reactions to Dr. Louks’ celebration of her outstanding achievement have roots in various social issues—ones that are becoming far too prevalent to be ignored at this point in time. Everyday social media use and increasingly common accessibility of artificial intelligence programmes have been taking their toll on society for the past few years more than ever before.

The rise of technology has, unsurprisingly, caused a huge uptick in the pursuit of STEM subjects in recent years. While there is no question about the value that professions in these fields bring to societal development, a devaluation of the humanities has become an unfortunate side effect of the encouragement of STEM careers.

As a result, the skills of critical thinking and analysis of mediums such as literature or film have continuously been shoved aside in favour of skills that are perceived as more logical and therefore more valuable. This shift in mindset has, however, gravely affected a general ability to not only think critically but to appreciate those that do.

The reaction to Dr. Louks’ post has only highlighted this shift—many of the comments went out of their way to label her degree as “useless” and “woke nonsense,” leaving behind comments that (wrongly) imply that obtaining a PhD is “simple” or a “waste of time.” It is the influx of such opinions, as well as the entitlement people seem to feel expressing them on the internet, that cements the unfortunate anti-intellectual landscape we’ve found ourselves in.

Academia represents research, studying, and learning—the antithesis to the comfort most people find in ignorance at this point in time. The desire to seek knowledge, or even do something as simple as fact-check, seems to be less present by the day. With the presence of artificial intelligence and X community notes, the need to find things out on one’s own is slowly fading out. This, in turn, gives way to a learned helplessness encouraged by information that isn’t only readily available but presented in bite-sized pieces.

The Dr. Louks incident has brought this omnipresent phenomenon to the forefront in a way so explicit that it cannot be ignored. Her thesis in title and abstract alone has created what can be a cultural revolution in how people who have come in contact with it perceive smells and others’ impressions of the sense. Despite this remarkable impact and the positive responses outnumbering the negative ones, the condescension in itself never stopped.

Of course, factors such as misogyny and the increased entitlement of hiding behind a screen when making derogatory comments had a significant contribution to this onslaught of negativity and unwarranted critique. Nonetheless, the overwhelming antagonism targeted at a completed PhD inarguably has roots in the idea that that level of study is somehow futile and fails to contribute to societal development.

While there is a long way to go when it comes to unlearning these attitudes towards research and study, this incident has brought it to the surface in a manner that devalues any kind of denial at the perception of voluntary learning in today’s society. With the sole intention of celebrating an achievement, Dr. Louks kickstarted not only a complete paradigm shift when it comes to the ethics of smell but also a revelation of the anti-intellectualism that is becoming more pervasive by the year and has provided a basis for confrontation of the issue in the incoming years.