The most remarkable substance on Earth? It’s right there in your belly button

In this column, we deliver hot (and cold) takes on pop culture, judging whether a subject is overrated or underrated.

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It’s about this time every year that we turn our minds to a substance that can embarrass us, burn down the house and, on a good day, even save our life – not always in that order.

Fire authorities warn us about it. We check ourselves for it without thinking. And if extreme survivalists are to be believed, we shouldn’t leave our underground bunker or suburban rental without a small supply.

For poets – that hardy, impractical breed – lint is a metaphor first. But don’t let them pretend they’re not also quietly worried about it setting their apartment alight.

Depending on its origin story, lint intrigues and repels in equal measure. Fire authorities insist it should be removed frequently to avoid spontaneous combustion, which makes it sound like a tiny, self‑immolating house sprite.

We don’t know whether philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre ever considered lint beyond the regulation removal........

© The Sydney Morning Herald