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I've wanted to compile a list of canonical simplified problem settings in various fields. Their longevity is interesting to me.

Things like the relativistic boxcars in physics, the urns and balls in probability (http://www.arcaneknowledge.org/science/ehrenfest.html), the teapot, Lena, blocks-world in AI.

Alice and Bob and Carol in cryptography.

Exactly!

Other favorites from computer graphics are the Cornell box, the Stanford bunny, and the SPD sphereflake.

Or the Wilhelm Scream from the film world. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_scream)

My kids and I give each other knowing glances whenever we hear it. Now we'll look for the teapot too.

For those like me who didn't know what "Lena" image is being referred to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenna