HTDE: Crushes and Smells

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!"

Episode: How To Do Everything: Crushes and Smells

Release Date: April 15, 2026
Host/Main Contributors: Mike, Ian, special guest Claire Dumarc, plus Liesl and Darcy

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Overview

This episode of NPR's "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" spin-off, "How To Do Everything," is filled with lighthearted, practical advice wrapped in classic Wait Wait humor. The hosts—Mike and Ian—tackle two questions: how to tell a boy you like him (asked by 10-year-old Darcy via Liesl), and whether a smell can get stuck in your nose, with expert insights from researcher Claire Dumarc. The episode closes with a heartwarming update on Darcy's crush and a discussion about the science of smell, before the usual friendly banter and acknowledgments.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. How to Tell a Boy You Like Him (00:45–03:55)

• Darcy's Question: Darcy, age 10, wants advice on confessing her feelings to her crush, Aiden.

  • She’s nervous because she fears rejection.
  • The playground grapevine (friends telling friends) suggests Aiden might reciprocate her feelings.

• Hosts' Advice & Support:

  • Ian: “It is an act of bravery, no matter how it goes... you are still brave.” (03:03)
  • The group discusses the risk of vulnerability and how being honest is valuable regardless of the outcome.

• Humorous Moment:
  Mike jokes about calling Aiden directly, but Darcy wisely declines:

  “Both of those things.” – Darcy, showing good judgment (03:45).

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2. Can a Smell Get Stuck in Your Nose? (04:11–09:40)

• Question Introduction: Ian admits he's often haunted by persistent bad smells (i.e., after changing his child’s diaper).

• Expert Interview: Claire Dumarc, researcher at Université Paris-Saclay, explains:

  • Scientifically, smells are caused by molecules. When these molecules enter your nose, enzymes break them down, eliminating the odor.
  • "There is no scientific proof of a smell hiding in a corner of your nose and then coming back later." (04:30 – Claire)

• Psychological Effect:
  Claire clarifies that lingering perceptions are mental—a memory, not a physical odor:

  "It seems to be more something like this... you see the image in your brain, right?" (06:18 – Claire)

• Specific Example:
  Ian’s trauma from diaper duty is cited as a likely cause for “phantom smells."

  “So, this made me wonder, is it hanging out in my nose? And now I know it was just the trauma of changing the diapers.” (06:44 – Ian)

• Follow-up:

  • Mike and Ian ask if molecules can ever hide or get stuck:

    “It is not possible that a molecule hide in your nose and wait to arrive.” (07:34 – Claire)

• Evolutionary Perspective:
  Claire notes that eliminating lingering odors may have evolved to help humans detect new, potentially important smells.

  "...if you had a permanent smell... you cannot smell this other smell that is very, maybe very important for your survival..." (07:49 – Claire)

• Not Smelling Yourself:
  Claire explains why people don’t typically notice their own scent:

  "...your permanent odor, you don't smell it." (08:19 – Claire)

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3. The World's Best Smell? (08:40–09:40)

• What Do Smell Experts Love?
  • Mike asks Claire about the universally beloved scent.
  • Claire:

    “Vanilla. Vanilla is always working as something that everyone likes.” (08:57)

  • She reveals vanilla is present in breast milk, suggesting a deep-rooted, evolutionary comforting association.
  • Mike’s reaction:

    “So it's deep in us that we like vanilla from way back.” (09:31)

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4. Community Advice: Blanket Mysteries (11:41–12:49)

• Hosts revisit a previous episode's dilemma: Kevin and Rebecca's bed-making argument.
• Listener Responses:
  • Multiple people email in, advocating for “separate sheets, separate comforters, or separate blankets.”
  • Ian humorously reads out names, poking fun at one non-contributor:

    “Chris offered no help.” (12:21)

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5. Update: Darcy and Aiden (12:58–15:57)

• Breaking News: Darcy shares that Aiden has since confessed he likes her, too!

  • Darcy describes the awkward but sweet moment after band practice.

    “You know when Connor told me that you liked me and I said no, I was lying.” – Aiden, relayed by Darcy (13:42)

  • Darcy’s reaction:

    “Yay.” (14:01)

  • The gang discusses their "relationship" status, with the girls clarifying it’s more about passing notes than formal dating.
  • Liesl shares Aiden’s mom calls them “special friends.” (15:11)

• Darcy’s Advice to Other Kids:

  “Just let the other person do the work.” (15:55)

  • The hosts applaud this strategy.

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6. Takeaways & Ending Reflections (16:14–17:59)

• Vanilla—Certified Best Smell:
  • Ian affirms his preference for vanilla ice cream, then jokes about the psychological connection to breast milk:

    “There’s certain bags you don’t want unpacked.” (16:42 – Ian) “I’ll just bring you over close, just gently burp you.” (17:08 – Mike)

• The Science of Smell Recap:
  • Ian: “When you inhale a smell, your body destroys that smell... it tears it apart so it cannot be smelled again.” (17:19)
  • Mike jokes about purposefully inhaling to "destroy" bad smells for others.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On bravery (03:03):
  Ian: “If you get the news you want and he likes you back, that's wonderful. And you are brave. If it turns out he doesn't like you back, you are still brave.”

• On the reality of odors (04:30):
  Claire Dumarc: “There is no scientific proof of a smell hiding in a corner of your nose and then coming back later... Smells, they are molecules... once you smell them, your system... eliminates [them].”

• On evolutionary smell mechanics (07:49):
  Claire Dumarc: “If you had a permanent smell and something else happen and you cannot smell this other smell... you have to have the first smell disappearing.”

• Best universal scent (08:57):
  Claire Dumarc: “Vanilla is always working as something that everyone likes.”

• Crush advice from a ten-year-old (15:55):
  Darcy/Liesl: “Just let the other person do the work.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Darcy’s question & crush advice: 00:45–03:55
• Can smells get stuck in your nose? 04:11–09:40
• Expert discussion—best smell: 08:40–09:40
• Listener advice—Blankets: 11:41–12:49
• Darcy & Aiden update: 12:58–15:57
• Show wrap-up & laughter: 16:14–17:59

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Tone & Style

The episode retains the signature "Wait Wait" blend of humorous banter, genuine curiosity, and warmth. Even as they tackle science or playground heartbreak, the hosts Mike and Ian keep things friendly, approachable, and endearingly silly.

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Perfect For:

• Fans who love practical (and comedic) advice
• Listeners curious about science in daily life
• Anyone who enjoys heartwarming stories about childhood crushes

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Transcript

[Sponsor Announcer]

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[Peter Sagal]

hey, guys, it's Peter. Once again in your Wait Wait Feed. I am so pleased to present to you another episode of how to Do Everything by Wait Wait. Producers, Ew. Ian and Mike. Now, remember, you can only get these episodes of how to Do Everything in our feed for a short while. So if you love the kind of mysteries that Mike and Ian are revealing, make sure you subscribe to how to Do Everything at their own feed.

[Liesl]

Thanks.

[Mike]

Hey, Liesl, what can we help you with?

[Liesl]

Well, let me get Darcy. Hang on a second. She's the one with the question.

[Mike]

Okay.

[Liesl]

Make sure we can get into a spot where you can hear us. All right?

[Ian]

Is she getting Darcy out of. Out of the back of a cupboard?

[Liesl]

Okay. She just ran in here. All right, Darcy, do you want to introduce yourself and tell Mike and Ian what your question is? I'm Darcy, and my question is, how do you tell a boy that you like him?

[Mike]

Oh, my gosh. That's a tough question.

[Ian]

How old are you, Darcy?

[Liesl]

10.

[Ian]

Okay, is this a generic question, or is there a boy we're talking about?

[Liesl]

There's a boy we're talking about.

[Mike]

And is this a question on your behalf or are you asking for a friend?

[Liesl]

On my behalf?

[Ian]

Okay.

[Mike]

All right. I appreciate the boldness here, Darcy. Let's get into it. Who's the boy?

[Liesl]

His name is Aiden.

[Mike]

Okay, Aiden.

[Liesl]

And he likes the color blue and sharks, and he likes to play video games and stuff.

[Mike]

I love it. Okay.

[Ian]

He sounds lovable. So have you tried to tell Aiden that you like him?

[Liesl]

Not really. Mainly because I'm afraid that he's gonna say he doesn't like me.

[Mike]

Mm. Mm. Yeah, that's always the risk, isn't it? Okay, so when you guys are on the playground and you're talking, what do you guys talk about?

[Liesl]

It's sort of personal stuff.

[Mike]

Sure. Yeah.

[Ian]

Fun mic.

[Mike]

Yeah. Okay, fair enough. Fair enough.

[Ian]

Has there been anything that has happened that maybe Aiden has said or done where you thought, oh, I think he does like me?

[Liesl]

Not really. You've got some information from your friends, though, and his friends, right? His friends say that he likes me, and my friends tell his friends that I like him.

[Mike]

I mean, that feels pretty. I feel like that's pretty solid information. Do you feel confident in all of

[Ian]

that kind of I also think it's one of those things where it is an act of bravery, no matter how it goes. Like, if you get the news you want and he likes you back, that's wonderful. And you are brave. If it turns out he doesn't like you back, you are still brave.

[Mike]

That's right.

[Ian]

That is a thing to sort of go into it with because bravery is like, everything.

[Liesl]

Okay.

[Mike]

Did you want us to call Aiden right now?

[Ian]

Yeah. Do you want us to just call him?

[Mike]

We'll do it.

[Liesl]

Do you have his phone number? No.

[Mike]

Good.

[Ian]

Wait, was that. No, you don't have his phone number? Or no, you don't want Mike and Ian to call him? Both of them would be phone.

[Liesl]

Both of those things.

[Mike]

Yeah. Okay, good. Darcy, I see really good judgment here. You're making all the right calls.

[Ian]

All right, we are gonna see if we can find somebody who can help Darcy find love. But in the meantime, I have a question that I have been wondering about. Can a smell get stuck in your nose?

[Mike]

Yeah, I know what you're talking about. I've been there.

[Ian]

You smell a smell, and then you get away from the smell and you're still kind of smelling it. Claire Dumarc is online with us now. She's a researcher at Universitee Paris Saclay. Is the. Is the smell staying in my nose or is this psychological?

[Claire Dumarc]

That's interesting. That's interesting. So, yeah, it's like the smell stays in your nose, right? Yeah, it stays in your nose and comes back when it's one. So there is no scientific proof of this, of a smell that could, like, you know, hide in a corner of your nose and then come back later. So you might first know that smells, they are molecules. So they are particles, real particles, that you nose detect. And those particles are supposedly eliminated once you smell them. Your system is done in a way that there is enzyme that are able to basically break those molecules to break the particles, and the particles are eliminated.

[Ian]

So the molecule that makes the smell is destroyed.

[Claire Dumarc]

Exactly, exactly. So you're not supposed to be able to smell it hours later.

[Mike]

Wait, what destroys it? But when I smell it, then it immediately, its purpose is served and it disappears.

[Claire Dumarc]

Exactly. It's disincur. Yeah. It is broken, basically, in small parts and eliminated in your mucus. And so by breaking it and the flow, the molecule is eliminated once you smelled it. Once you kept it.

[Mike]

Okay.

[Ian]

Okay. So when this thing happens, it's all in my head. It's all psychological.

[Claire Dumarc]

So I wanted to go there after. So it can be in your head. Yes. Like when you see something and, you know, a bit later, you think again about it, and you see it in your mind. It can happen, right? Like, you see something, then you do your life, and later you take a coffee, and it's like, oh, I saw that. And you see the image in your brain, right?

[Ian]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Claire Dumarc]

It seems to be more something like this.

[Mike]

Can I ask. Ian, Can I ask you a question? What is the smell when you think about this? Because I feel like I guess I'm gonna guess what it is, but I want. Why don't you tell me what it. Why don't you tell us what it is?

[Ian]

I can't actually remember what made me start thinking about this, but I think what Mike is referring to is I have a child who is still in diapers.

[Mike]

Exactly.

[Ian]

Yeah. Occasionally you will change a diaper, and half an hour later you will think, did I do the job as well as I thought I did? And you find that you did. And so this made me wonder, is it hanging out in my nose? And now I know it was just the trauma of changing the diapers.

[Claire Dumarc]

So it does happen most of the time for unpleasant odor, Unfortunately. Yeah.

[Ian]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mike]

Earlier, Claire, you said that. I think you were joking, that a small molecule of smell would be hiding in your nose, and then you would find it. Is it possible for a molecule of smell somehow be hidden under something or, you know, just be, you know, laying in wait?

[Claire Dumarc]

No, it is not possible that a molecule hide in your nose and wait to arrive.

[Ian]

Is there a reason that, you know, like an evolutionary advantage, a reason that a smell is destroyed when we smell it?

[Claire Dumarc]

It indeed has to be because indeed, like, if you had a permanent smell and something else happen and you cannot smell this other smell that is very, maybe very important for your survival, then you have to have the first smell disappearing so you can be sensitive to the second one. And if the smell is not living and your system cannot assess it, your brain will take over, because the brain can basically also break the connections that make you smell something. It's. This is also why you don't smell your own odor. You have no idea what you're smelling. Other people do. I'm not speaking about, like, a intense sweat that you have. Like, sometimes this one, you can smell it because you don't always smell like this, but your permanent odor, you don't smell it.

[Ian]

Yeah.

[Mike]

Can I ask, Claire, as someone who's like, I guess, an expert in smell, there are any number of bad smells. Is there a smell that people in your field regularly think of as one of the best smells.

[Claire Dumarc]

The best smell.

[Mike]

Yeah, like. Oh, that's a good smell.

[Claire Dumarc]

Vanilla. Vanilla is always working as something that everyone likes.

[Mike]

Vanilla. Really?

[Claire Dumarc]

Yes.

[Mike]

Oh, that's good.

[Claire Dumarc]

It seems that there is studied that shows also the maternal milk is also containing this molecule. So maybe this is even something we learn to like very early on. It's linked to nutri like a nutritive food. So yeah.

[Mike]

Wait, so breast milk has molecules of that are the same as vanilla?

[Claire Dumarc]

There is some studies that shows that, yeah.

[Mike]

Oh wow, that's interesting. Okay, so it's. It's deep in us that we like vanilla from way back.

[Claire Dumarc]

Exactly.

[Mike]

Well, Claire, thank you so much.

[Claire Dumarc]

Yes, of course.

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[Mike]

Hey, if you have any questions or if anything's lingering in your nose like the cesspool that is Ian's two nostrils, go ahead and send it to us. Send it to us as a [e-mail]

[Ian]

I see no reason why our promos, our calls for questions need to be hurtful. But whatever gets you sending those emails so that we can help you as soon as possible.

[Mike]

I'm sorry I did that. That's not fair. Your nose is terrific and I'm sure it smells good. I'm sure your nose smells good.

[Ian]

I will also say howtopr.org our email has been flooded with many, many of you trying to help out Kevin and Rebecca, the people we helped out last week who had a mysterious blanket and sheet mystery.

[Mike]

Most of you or a lot of you are suggesting they get two separate Sheets, separate comforters, or separate blankets.

[Ian]

This is a good solution. I just want to say some names. I'm just going to go through the email box. People that wrote in either with kind words for Kevin and Rebecca or a solution. We heard from Mara. We heard from Nina, Christina, Katie.

[Mike]

Yep. Kitsy. Kitsy. Got it.

[Ian]

I was about to say Chris, but that's another email. Chris offered no help.

[Mike]

Monica. Did you say Monica yet? So many people. We. The list is endless.

[Ian]

Andrea, here's someone saying.

[Mike]

Yep.

[Ian]

What's wrong? What's wrong with you guys? Anyway, I. I will say it truly warms the heart to see everyone chipping in to help Kevin and Rebecca. Kevin and Rebecca. I hope you hear from all these people who almost unanimously have decided you. You need to get separate blankets.

[Mike]

Get separate blankets. Of course, if you don't want to send an email, you can also comment on our episodes on Spotify.

[Ian]

Okay. This hasn't really happened to us before on the show, but Liesel and Darcy, who we spoke to at the beginning of the show about Darcy and Aiden, they have reached back out to us and they say they need to give us an update before we go any further solving their problem.

[Mike]

Hello, Liesel, Darcy.

[Liesl]

Hi. Hi.

[Mike]

What's happening? How's it going?

[Liesl]

Stuff's happening.

[Mike]

Okay, wait, so stuff's happening? What's going on?

[Liesl]

Aiden told me he liked me.

[Mike]

Whoa. Really?

[Liesl]

Yeah.

[Mike]

Wow. Can you take us through it? What happened?

[Liesl]

We both needed to use the bathroom, and he waited for me. And then we walked up from band and he. And he said, you know when Connor told me that you liked me and I said no, I was lying.

[Ian]

And what did you say?

[Liesl]

Yay.

[Mike]

Yay. You said yay.

[Liesl]

Tell us how you really feel. I can't explain how I feel in words.

[Mike]

Yes. Yes.

[Ian]

That's beautiful.

[Mike]

Yep.

[Ian]

So what happens now?

[Liesl]

I don't know.

[Mike]

Yeah. Let me ask you this question, because I know what are. You're in fourth grade, right?

[Liesl]

Yeah.

[Mike]

So do you guys go out and do stuff? Go to the movies? Do you go out to dinner? What? What. What happens?

[Liesl]

We don't do that stuff.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Liesl]

We pass notes to each other in class.

[Mike]

Really? Do you get in trouble for that? Because you should.

[Liesl]

No, we don't get in trouble for that.

[Mike]

Okay.

[Liesl]

We sit right next to each other. So it's easy.

[Ian]

So is this like. So would you say are you. Is. Are you boyfriend and girlfriend?

[Liesl]

Is now.

[Ian]

Now? Is that how it works?

[Liesl]

No, not really. I don't really know.

[Mike]

Okay. Okay.

[Ian]

Don't have to put a label on it.

[Liesl]

His mom said that they were special friends.

[Mike]

Great. That's. Wow. If only it were always that simple, huh?

[Ian]

Oh, sorry. Go ahead.

[Liesl]

I said I wish it was.

[Mike]

Yeah. You wouldn't be wasting your time with these two jokers, that's for sure.

[Ian]

Okay, so when we talked to you before, you wanted some advice on how to tell him. It sounds like he has now been told. Everybody got the kind of answer they wanted. Is there anything we can do. Do for you now moving forward?

[Liesl]

I think Darcy will have some advice for other girls who want to know how to tell a boy they like him.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Liesl]

Just let the other person do the work.

[Ian]

Yes.

[Mike]

Y. Well, that does it for this week's show. What'd you learn, Ian?

[Ian]

Well, I learned that the certified best smell in the world is vanilla.

[Mike]

Yeah. What do you think of that?

[Ian]

I. I personally love. I prefer vanilla ice cream to chocolate ice cream.

[Mike]

Is that right?

[Ian]

I'm often the only one.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ian]

And I do think that what Claire said about how maybe the reason we love vanilla is because the compounds in vanilla also exist in breast milk. I feel like that makes me feel.

[Mike]

Keep going.

[Ian]

A little weird about my preference for vanilla over chocolate ice cream. I don't want to. There's certain bags you don't want unpacked.

[Mike]

Yeah, I think that's right.

[Ian]

That's one of them.

[Mike]

That's the kind of information now that I. Now that I have it. And I know what you're going to order the next time we go to the ice cream store, I'll just make sure. When we're done eating, done drinking, I'll just bring you over close, just gently burp you.

[Ian]

I also found interesting what Claire told us, that when you smell a smell, when you inhale a smell, your body destroys that smell.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Ian]

It tears it apart so it cannot be smelled again.

[Mike]

Wait, okay, so if that. If that's what's happening and you're in a place where there is a terrible smell, is that the right approach then to just go after it like a. Like use your nose like a vacuum cleaner and just like this. Smells terrible. The only way out is through. I gotta suck it all in and destroy. Destroy those bad odors.

[Ian]

I like the idea of just taking one for the team. Just. I will inhale all of these molecules. I will destroy them.

[Mike]

Yeah. Do you have a match? I just need to get rid of the smell. Don't worry, I got it. Give me a few minutes. Yeah.

[Ian]

I am the match.

[Mike]

How to do Everything is produced by Skyler Swenson with technical direction from Lorna

[Ian]

White we also want to tell you to check out the NPR app. That's an application for your telephone. The NPR app brings you the best of public radio. Personalized for you the best of public radio and us.

[Mike]

The NPR app has your favorite podcasts, even your local public radio station, and the world's biggest stories. Size wise, these are the biggest stories.

[Ian]

It's going to be hard to get from one side of one side of the story to the other in a single day, so you're going to want to pack snacks and something to sleep in. A change of clothes. Bring a charger attempt to traverse these almost insurmountably large stories.

[Mike]

Yep, this is gonna be huge. You're gonna love it. Download the NPR app in your App Store today.

[Ian]

Exhaustingly large stories from npr.

[Mike]

I'm Ian and I'm Mike.

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