Chapter 64: Cell Replacement and Body Destruction

At this moment...

Whether it was the audience or the experts...

They all realized one fact: as long as they could determine whether the Jiang Zhe in Kyoto was the original Jiang Zhe...

As long as that was resolved, they could perfectly solve the issue of the Ship of Theseus—where the damaged wooden planks were replaced and reassembled into another 'Ship of Theseus'.

The truth was right before their eyes!

On the big screen.

Jiang Zhe wore a smile of certain victory.

"Right now, everyone is concerned about whether the future Jiang Zhe in Kyoto is still the Jiang Zhe from Su City."

"On the surface, the Kyoto Jiang Zhe is the Su City Jiang Zhe, just five minutes later—because the destruction machine needs 5 minutes of operation time to reassemble into the New Jiang Zhe."

"Looking internally, every cell, every atom, every quark, and even every [string] that makes up Jiang Zhe—strings being the most fundamental and smallest matter in the world, unable to be further divided—the efficiency of all their movements is identical."

"Therefore, no matter how you try to distinguish them, you will only get one answer: [The Kyoto Jiang Zhe is the Su City Jiang Zhe]."

As soon as these words were spoken, the audience immediately chimed in with agreement.

"I'm a biology student. Yes, in biology—if the genes, molecules, and information are the same, then it's you."

"I'm a physics student. As long as your information is the same, even if it's a copy, it's you."

"I'm a philosophy student, but I lean toward psychology. I believe the Kyoto Jiang Zhe is another manifestation of a brand-new personality and body for the Su City Jiang Zhe. Since the Kyoto Jiang Zhe is a product of the Su City Jiang Zhe, the Su City Jiang Zhe dies while the Kyoto Jiang Zhe lives; I believe the future Jiang Zhe has been alive the whole time."

"I'm a... what the hell am I saying? I haven't studied anything! I left my parents at a young age and didn't even graduate from elementary school!"

"Damn, a bunch of top students are coming out. This makes those of us in the factories, who aren't even considered beasts of burden, unable to get a word in."

"..."

Every audience member's answer was vastly different.

Because no matter how one looked at it, the Kyoto Jiang Zhe had always been the original future Jiang Zhe himself.

Just as most people were thinking this, as expected, Jiang Zhe's next words were a direct reversal.

"No, the Kyoto Jiang Zhe is not the Su City Jiang Zhe!"

"The Su City Jiang Zhe was assassinated."

"From the moment the Kyoto Jiang Zhe was born, he was no longer the Su City Jiang Zhe, but a completely separate individual."

"Why?"

He stopped being mysterious; if he kept them in suspense any longer, there probably wouldn't be enough time left to finish the explanation.

"Because..."

As he spoke, everyone became more solemn than ever before.

The audience and experts were certain that the newly appeared Kyoto Jiang Zhe was not the Su City Jiang Zhe.

This directly indicated that Jiang Zhe believed the New Ship of Theseus, composed of the old ship's parts, was also no longer the Ship of Theseus!!!

"In fact, you have already learned a truth from the teleporter thought experiment, you just haven't realized it yet!"

"That is, the brain data of the future Jiang Zhe in the story was transmitted into another brain, even if this brain is identical in molecular structure to the future Jiang Zhe's brain."

"That is still not Jiang Zhe!!"

"That has only created a duplicate that is exactly the same as the future Jiang Zhe!"

"Everyone, don't be in a hurry to refute—the teleportation machine merely created a stranger who happens to be identical to the future Jiang Zhe."

"The 'him' of the Su City Jiang Zhe is special. When he is reshaped using other atoms, something very important is lost."

"It is precisely these lost things that determine what Jiang Zhe is."

The Body Theory and Brain Theory would point out that the only difference between the Kyoto Jiang Zhe and the Su City Jiang Zhe is that they are composed of different atoms."

"The body of the Kyoto Jiang Zhe is merely like the body of the Su City Jiang Zhe; it is 100% alike."

"Even so, the Kyoto version of him is still composed of different materials."

"So, is the material that makes up the body the answer?"

"Now let's use one test to verify this."

Having reached this point in his narrative, Jiang Zhe paused for a moment to give people time to react.

When the time was up, he continued his explanation.

"It is called: the [Cell Replacement Test]."

At this time, in the Kyoto Report Hall.

Professor Hua Yunfeng looked toward the audience and asked, "Biologists on site, what kind of experiment is this? Is it complicated?"

A young biologist raised his hand and explained, "It's a simple little experiment, not complicated at all. I'm not in the lab right now, but I can have my assistant do it now and then broadcast it simultaneously."

Professor Hua Yunfeng thought for a moment. "No need. You may sit."

On the big screen.

Jiang Zhe's explanation continued.

"Cell Replacement Test!"

"Suppose I now take a cell from your hand using a precision instrument, and then replace that cell with another identical duplicate cell."

"Are you still you?"

"It's just one cell; everyone doesn't even need to think about it—of course you are still you."

"Now, I use precision instruments to replace 1% of the cells in your body, one by one, with identical duplicate cells, and there will be no biological rejection."

"Are you still you?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the bullet comments in the livestream room began to fly rapidly.

"Yes!"

"Right, even if 10% of the cells are replaced, it's still me."

"This is similar to the example given for Body Theory, it's equivalent to changing an organ; so I am still me."

"..."

When 10% was replaced.

The audience was 100% in agreement that the 'me' at that moment was still 'me'!

Jiang Zhe heard the bullet comments being read out by the director backstage through his earpiece and nodded slightly.

"Mhm, 100% of people believe that after 10% of cells are replaced, you are still you, without any change."

"Now, what if I change the ratio to 20%?"

The question was posed, and the bullet comments remained the same.

Still, 100% of the people believed, [I am still me].

"What about 30%?"

When this question was asked, the bullet comments hesitated for a moment but continued to firmly believe in their previous assertion: [I am still me].

"What if next it is 60%?"

As this question was thrown out, the audience began to hesitate.

Why?

Because too much had been replaced!

"It's already 60%, it probably isn't me anymore, right?"

"No, it's still him. At 60%, it's still him."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because this is similar to the brain swap theory. If all the organs in your body except for the brain are taken away bit by bit, are you still you? In fact, you always have been."

"So, his Cell Replacement Test is actually a vivid example of a gradual transition from [Body Theory] to [Brain Theory]?"

"Yes!"

"..."

As the hypothetical Cell Replacement Test went deeper.

Some wavering people began to deny it was still themselves.

But they were quickly refuted by the biology-savvy audience members.

"Through the previous thought experiments, everyone can see—"

"That 'Jiang Zhe' in Kyoto is a 100% replaced version."

"But earlier, I already asserted that the Kyoto Jiang Zhe is no longer the Su City Jiang Zhe."

"You might think I'm contradicting myself, but in reality, there is no contradiction."

"So, where exactly is the dividing line between the Kyoto Jiang Zhe and the Su City Jiang Zhe?"

"Exactly what percentage of the Su City Jiang Zhe must be replaced by the Kyoto Jiang Zhe for the remaining Kyoto Jiang Zhe to stop being the Su City Jiang Zhe and become just a duplicate?"

As these words came out, all the audience members and experts felt a headache coming on.

The previous example was: the Cell Replacement Test, where gradual replacement is a transition from [Body Theory] to [Brain Theory].

Theoretically speaking, the Kyoto Jiang Zhe is the Su City Jiang Zhe.

Yet Jiang Zhe, while knowing the contradiction, still rejected the theory that the Kyoto Jiang Zhe was the Su City Jiang Zhe.

This truly left everyone feeling perplexed!

Facing the camera, Jiang Zhe gave a slight smile.

"Yes, this test is quite a headache and hard to answer, isn't it?"

"If 100% of your cells were replaced by duplicates, what is the essential difference between this Su City Jiang Zhe and the 'Jiang Zhe' created by the teleporter in Kyoto?"

"What everyone needs to know is that the example I gave, the [Cell Replacement Test], allows you to remain yourself."

"Why?"

"Because the [replacement] process in my experiment happens gradually—1%, 2%, 3%... and finally to 100%. This belongs to a gradual change, a step-by-step progression."

"Oh right, there's another test I mentioned earlier; that is the process from Su City Jiang Zhe to Kyoto. That experiment is called the [Body Destruction Test]. In the Su City train, the future Jiang Zhe was instantly destroyed, and then 5 minutes later, a new Kyoto Jiang Zhe appeared at the Kyoto train station. That experiment is called the [Body Destruction Test]."

"The [Cell Replacement Test] is your 'rebirth' as the Su City Jiang Zhe in the story."

"The [Body Destruction Test] is your 'end' as the Su City Jiang Zhe."

"As for why I would not accept the Kyoto Jiang Zhe as the original Su City Jiang Zhe..."

"That's because—the [Body Destruction Test] happens in an instant. The machine terminates the Su City Jiang Zhe's body in an instant. Internally, this machine instantly shatters and destroys something belonging to the Su City Jiang Zhe."

"Cells? Organs? Thoughts? Or something else?"

"No, none of those!"

"Then... what would that 'something' be?"

Having reached this point in his talk, he picked up a charcoal pencil from the table, stood up, and turned toward the whiteboard.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, he wrote three large characters on the whiteboard.

[continuity]

Turning back to face the camera, he continued to explain:

"What is missing between the Su City Jiang Zhe and the Kyoto Jiang Zhe is this one word: [continuity]!"

"Therefore, there is a fundamental difference between them."

"I'll give everyone some time to think first, and I will continue the explanation shortly."