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I am reminded of this quote:

“This, milord, is my family’s axe. We have owned it for almost nine hundred years, see. Of course, sometimes it needed a new blade. And sometimes it has required a new handle, new designs on the metalwork, a little refreshing of the ornamentation . . . but is this not the nine-hundred-year-old axe of my family? And because it has changed gently over time, it is still a pretty good axe, y’know. ”

Written by Terry Prattchet, spoken by the Low King in The Fifth Elephant.

(quoted online from http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/terry%20prattchet)



What you’re describing is also known as Theseus’ Paradox, and has been with us for 2 millennia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus


My personal favourite instance of the trope is Trigger's Broom: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigger_(Only_Fools_and_Horses)

Thanks for the link to something much, much older.


I believe the human body too, has a 100% complete turnover at the cellular level every 3 years. Not that all the cells are replaced all at once. ;)




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