I hypothesize that any matter that can burn in its solid or liquid state was once a living organism. Find me a counterexample. You can’t.
"Pure hydrogen?" you suggest.
Ugh, fine, pure hydrogen. Good one, smartass. Technically, H2 can ignite and wasn’t once alive. But find me any other counterexample. You can’t!!!!
"Sulfur?" you offer.
Congrats, Niels Bohr. S8 is flammable; matches are vegan; send my regards to your high horse. All I was saying is that most of the things you encounter that could conceivably burn—from perfume to linoleum—can burn because they got their burnable energy from a once-living organism!
"That’s literally not what you said," you counter.
This is my book, not yours, so I say let’s just move on.
