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Podcast: An Americanist
Episode: Scent Alarm, Side-Eye, and Dear Abby
Description: TALK TO ME, TEXT ITCoffee-scented wake-up calls? We start with a quirky hotel experiment rolling out across Asia Pacific: an alarm clock that swaps buzzers for breakfast aromas like coffee, bacon, blueberry muffins, and regional picks. It’s playful and a little provocative—can a smell actually make mornings better, or is it just smart hospitality designed to nudge us toward the free buffet? We unpack the psychology of scent, the realities of travel routines, and why gentle cues can shift a mood even if they don’t fix jet lag.From there, we pivot...