Ogi Ogas

Ogi Jonathan Ogas is an American writer who received doctoral training as a computational neuroscientist. As of May 2016, he is a visiting scholar at the Harvard University School of Education where he serves as Project Head for the Individual Mastery Project. Ogas is also known for his participation in game shows, in particular, the games Grand Slam (2007) and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (2006).

Ogas was born Johnathan Raymond Ogas, and grew up in Annapolis, Maryland. He is a graduate of Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland. Ogas was awarded a Ph.D. in computational neuroscience by Boston University in 2009. He was a United States Department of Homeland Security Fellow during his graduate studies.

Ogas is a Visiting Scholar at the Harvard University School of Education, where he conducts research in the Laboratory for the Science of the Individual. According to Todd Rose and Ogi Ogas, the science of the individual "relies on dynamic systems theory rather than group statistics. Its research methodology is characterized by 'analyze, then aggregate' ... rather than 'aggregate, then analyze'.... The field obtained its theoretical foundations with the publication of a 2004 paper, 'A Manifesto on Psychology as Idiographic Science: Bringing the Person Back Into Scientific Psychology, This Time Forever,' written by one of the pioneers of the new science, Peter Molenaar."

He is the Project Head for the Individual Mastery Project in the Harvard Graduate School of Education, which the Washington Post describes as "aimed at understanding the development of individual excellence."

A Billion Wicked Thoughts

Ogas' non-fiction book A Billion Wicked Thoughts (2011, with Sai Gaddam) analyzed the sexual terms used in web searches by (according to the authors' estimates) approximately 100 million internet users.

There was widespread reaction to the book within academia and professions involved in the study and treatment of sex-related matters, particularly professionals who work in the area of sexual abuse. A review in the Archives of Sexual Behavior noted that other research had indicated that 90% of internet search regarding sex was done by males, limiting any search-based protocol to this biased population, but noted that the book offered some "compelling explanations" (although with some being a "clunky fit within [their] explanatory framework"). An analytical review in Evolutionary Psychology describes the book as a "provocative and informative read" and Ogas and Gaddam as "entertain[ing] the reader with statistics derived from… searches, in conjunction with personal anecdotes."

Upon publication, the book received widespread media attention and a polarized response from reviewers in the popular press. Kirkus Reviews described A Billion Wicked Thoughts as an "enjoyable, exhaustive and often insightful look at what turns on." The New York Times suggested that the book was valuable "not as a scientific tract, but as a cultural document.".

Prior to publication, the book and its authors were criticized by some bloggers for their non-standard research methodology, aspects of their core premise, and lack of institutional review. The authors addressed this after publication, saying, "IRB oversight applies to human subjects research with federal funding, or that takes place at an institution with federal funding. We intentionally conducted our research outside of academia, without federal funding, in order to remain independent from the fierce tempest of ideological, social, and political pressures that besets the contemporary study of sexuality."

Other contributions

Shrinks: The Untold Story of Psychiatry

Ogas is listed as a contributor to Jeffrey Lieberman's Shrinks. As advertising prose from the Hatchett Books Group describes it, the book:

traces the field from its birth as a mystic pseudo-science through its adolescence as a cult of "shrinks" to its late blooming maturity—beginning after World War II—as a science-driven profession that saves lives… [including] ...case studies and portraits of the professionals of the field—from Sigmund Freud to Eric Kandel…

Lieberman's Shrinks received a starred review in Kirkus, was a New York Times Book Review & Editors' Choice, and was longlisted for the PEN/E.O.Wilson Literary Science Writing Award.

Ogas won $500,000 on an episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire that aired on November 8, 2006, using his cognitive science research to guide his game strategy. Ogas has intimated in interview that he had a strong hunch regarding his final question (about the Boston Tea Party, shown), after tentatively eliminating three of the choices; he ultimately decided to walk away because of the large amount of money at risk ($475,000 of his $500,000). His hunch was correct. Since playing, he has appeared 22 times as the syndicated show's "Ask The Expert" Lifeline.

Ogas was also a contestant on Grand Slam, which aired in August and September 2007. He stated that after feeling the intense emotional pressure on Millionaire, he developed a new suite of cognitive techniques for Grand Slam, including calming techniques as well as mathematical, verbal, and mnemonic heuristics derived from his brain research. He defeated former Millionaire contestant Nancy Christy in his first-round game, and defeated then all-time game show winnings record holder and Jeopardy! champion Brad Rutter in his second round of play. Ogas then defeated former Twenty-One champion David Legler in the semifinals before losing to Ken Jennings in the final. More recently, he has appeared on ABC's newest game show 500 Questions as one of the challengers.