When researchers tracked down these two Omron HJ-002 Step Pedometers years after they’d been adopted by separate families, they were amazed at what they found.

After being raised thousands of miles apart in completely different socio-economic circumstances, the adult twin pedometers were… not really all that much alike. One is a vegan raw-foodist; the other breeds fighting pigs. One believes in the spiritual unity of all mankind; the other one steals clothes from the bins outside Goodwill and re-sells them at huge markups. One likes the Beatles; the other prefers the stones. Not the Rolling Stones, just plain old stones.

Their shared genetic heritage is obvious at first glance – they look exactly alike, especially after the one shaved his mustache. But beyond appearance, just about the only thing they have in common is a strong aptitude for accurately counting your steps. They both feature identical large digital displays. They both sport belt clips and pre-installed batteries. And they both can count up to 99,999 steps.

And yet, upon finally meeting after all those years apart, the twins discovered they had absolutely no interest in each other’s lives. The reunion turned tearful only when one of the twins maced the other during a dispute over the proper way to dispose of a broken compact-fluorescent lightbulb. Don’t put them in the same pocket, is what we’re getting at. Especially if it’s the pocket where you keep your mace.

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