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shaih comments on Open thread, February 15-28, 2013 - Less Wrong
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In the short story/paper "Sylvan's Box" by Graham Priest the author tries to argue that it's possible to talk meaningfully about a story with internally inconsistent elements. However, I realized afterward that if one truly was in possession of a box that was simultaneously empty and not empty there would be no way to keep the inconsistency from leaking out. Even if the box was tightly closed it would both bend spacetime according to its empty weight and also bend spacetime according to its un-empty weight. Opening the box would cause photons and air molecules (at the least) to being interacting and not interacting with the contents. Eventually a hurricane would form and not form over the Atlantic due to the air currents caused (and not caused) by removing the lid. In my opinion If there is any meaning to be found in a physical interpretation of the story it's that inconsistency everywhere would explode from any interaction with an initial inconsistency, probably fairly rapidly (at least as fast as the speed of sound).
I'd be interested to know what other people think of the physical ramifications.
I don't think it works on all inconsistency though just large one's. There is a large mass difference between a box with nothing in it and a box with something in it. This doesn't necessarily work for lets say a box with a cat in it and a box with a dead cat in it.
May I ask why the downvotes if I promise not to rebbutle and suck up time?
I didn't downvote you, but my guess is that your comment is basically wrong. Even a "small" inconsistency would behave in a similar way assuming it had physical interactions with the outside world. For example, the living cat would breathe in air and metabolise carbohydrates, while the dead one would be eaten by bacteria. The living cat will also cause humans who see it to pet it, while the dead one will cause them to recoil in disgust, which should split the world or something. I make no remark on the accuracy of the original comment, since I find it a little confusing, not having read the story/paper yet.