Skip to content
INFINITE SUM
← Paradoxes & riddles

1:47

The Ship of Theseus

is it still the same ship?

The ship of the hero Theseus is kept in a harbor. As planks rot, they are replaced one at a time, until eventually no original plank remains. Is it still the ship of Theseus? And if someone collects all the old planks and rebuilds a ship from them, which one is the real ship?

Source: A classic puzzle, retold by INFINITE SUM and fact-checked against our curated notes

Want another one?

Type the name of a paradox or riddle you've heard of, or browse the rest of the archive.