Human consciousness is like a bicycle?

I was just listening to my Scientific American podcast, and they were discussing the issues that came up at the recent World Science Forum (NYC). One was the idea that shortly, the technology will exist to make it possible for people to live forever. They mentioned people "downloading" their consciousness or even correcting "bugs" in the consciousness of their friends. This, of course, made me think of bicycles.

(Would this happen with ink blots?)

Years ago, I asked my friend James Hill who worked at the Missing Link bicycle shop how long he had had his bicycle. He shifted weight on his feet and said, that's a difficult question. What is a bicycle? You wear out parts and replace them. Is a bicycle its frame? But what if you switch all the parts from one frame to another? Likewise, if you get a new heart or kidney or "download" your consciousness to a new body, are you the same person?

I can't help but think that we are a different person (or bicycle) from one minute to the next. They say your cells turn over every 7 years (or something like that) that after 7 years you have none of the same cells that you had to begin with. Are you the same person bc you have the "same" consciousness? The same "soul"?

Some people just love to categorize. "You're intellectual" or "you’re sensitive" or "women have ESP and men don't". There are 2 kinds of people, and you're the first (whatever that is). When it’s stated seriously, this infuriates me. Keep your labels to yourself. I am the sky -- you can't fit me into any box. Likewise, if we are each a different entity from one moment to the next, we can't be categorized. Let go of the idea of separate self and embrace the idea of systemic self. We are each part of the economy, the political system, the eco-system, our community.... Isn't that a much more important, reliable identity?