SEM Explained
By SEM Link
Can You Smell Me Now? Lavender and Rosemary
Student podcast hosts Jaycob and Mansour discuss the science of smell and review the article “Can You Smell Me Now?” by Dr. Amanda Holloman and Dr. Chris Crawford, published in an Association for Computing Machinery journal. They explain an experiment run remotely during COVID with 12 college-age participants on Zoom, who received postcards scented with either lavender or rosemary and then played the online memory game Concentration to measure effects on focus, mood, and memory. They note limitations including the small sample size and lack of environmental control in participants’ homes. Results described include lavender promoting relaxation and nostalgia and slightly slower game completion, while rosemary increased focus and faster performance. They connect the findings to everyday uses (diffusers for studying or relaxation), the possibility of remote smell research, and emerging gaming/VR scent technologies, including Sony’s Future Immersive Entertainment Concept.
00:00 Smell And Memory Hook
00:24 Meet The Hosts
01:02 Article And Authors
01:15 Experiment Setup On Zoom
02:16 Study Limitations
03:15 Lavender Vs Rosemary Results
04:24 Everyday Uses Of Scents
05:20 Remote Smell Research Future
06:39 Scent Tech In Gaming
08:44 Wrap Up And Takeaways
AI in Education: Tool or Threat?
Student Perspectives on Using Generative AI in the Classroom
Student podcast hosts Zariah, Aniah, and Ashton discuss the 2025 study “Using Generative Artificial Intelligence Creatively in the Classroom” and whether AI helps or hurts students. They argue AI can give confident but wrong answers, and overreliance can reduce credibility, weaken critical thinking, and potentially hinder brain development for Gen Z and Gen Alpha, especially since school guidelines are not widely implemented.
They raise concerns about equity because some AI tools require paid subscriptions and may widen financial divides, and question whether AI creators prioritize students’ interests. They also note benefits of AI-driven personalized learning that can target strengths and weaknesses and improve test scores, while warning about environmental impacts from data centers and the need for renewable energy.
The group concludes AI should be used carefully as a supportive tool, not a replacement for student thinking.
- 00:00 AI in Education Debate
- 00:10 Meet the Hosts
- 01:11 The Study Overview
- 01:23 Why AI Gets It Wrong
- 02:06 Overreliance and Brain Skills
- 03:27 Guidelines for Gen Alpha
- 04:26 Access and Equity Concerns
- 05:35 AI Success Stories in Schools
- 06:43 Who AI is Built for and Why
- 07:54 Environmental Cost of AI
- 10:21 How Schools Handle AI
- 12:27 Best Ways to Use AI
- 14:10 Final Takeaways
Imposter Phenomenon Explored
Cohort 5 explains the academic journal article "Imposter Phenomenon and Motivation: Women in Higher Education" by Ashley R. Vaughn, Gita Taasoobshirazi & Marcus L. Johnson.
A Wild Ride into Water Eutrophication Part 1
Green floating algal blooms, watershed monitoring, and ways for teens to engage in the scientific process
A Wild Ride into Water Eutrophication Part 2
Green floating algal blooms, watershed monitoring, and ways for teens to engage in the scientific process
The Sticky Truth
Cosmetic eye lash glue and the untold stories.
Where's the Cheese? - SEM Explained Podcast 2
Gene Editing, Elon Musk, and your Neurons
Babies are not hand bags... SEM Explained Podcast 1
Gene editing with Crispr.