Editor’s Note: This article previously appeared in a different format as part of The Atlantic’s Notes section, retired in 2021. Ever wonder why smoke alarms always seem to chirp in the middle of the ...

I knew the smell, all right. Linseed oil. The pungent odor roused me early one morning last week. My nose was twitching. I glanced at the clock, then at my hands. Maybe I hadn’t washed up thoroughly ...