Schrödinger's Cat Meets Pavlov's Dog

"Open the box," Schrödinger's cat said.

"I don't want to," Pavlov's dog answered.

"Why not?" the cat asked from inside the box. "Aren't you conditioned to be happy when you see me?"

"I am," the dog answered. "But I am only conditioned to be happy if I see you alive."

The cat paused for a second. "Would you rather you never feel happiness again?"

"I won't if I see you dead," the dog answered curtly. "I am not conditioned to be happy to see you dead."

The cat asked again, "Would you rather be conditioned to be happy when seeing an unopened box, then?"

"Then I will always be happy, because the box will never be opened."

The cat, or whatever ghost that was, went silent. Pavlov's dog sat staring at the box, hoping that its mind would conjure more annoying noises of Schrodinger's cat. But its brain wasn't conditioned to do that, it seemed, and it wondered if it could get Pavlov to do that.

Pavlov's dog sat for a little longer before finally, slowly, it opened the box.

Comments

[Venerable Ro]

Huh. This bears further thought.