of the world—light, whatever that is—entering into our bodies and being transformed into the sort of impulses that our brains can “read.” Unless the world enters us, we’re blind. Whenever I smell boxwoods, I am instantly transported back to my youth, exploring the cobbled streets and colonial homes of Williamsburg, Virginia, with my family. Smell is as physical as any of the other senses. Diane Ackerman notes, When I hold a violet to my nose and inhale, odor molecules float back into the nasal cavity