In the thought experiment we are considering , the contents of the box can be er be tested. Nonetheless $10 and $100 mean different things.
I’m not sure you realize how strong a statement “the contents of the box can be never be tested” is. It means even if we crack open the box we won’t be able to read the writing on the bill. It means that even if we somehow tracked all the $20 and all the $100 bills that were ever printed, their current location, and whether or not they were destroyed, we won’t be able to find one which is missing and deduce that it is inside the box. It means that even if we had a powerful atom-level scanner that can accurately map all the atoms in a given volume and put the box inside it, it won’t be able to detect if the atoms are arranged like a $20 bill or like a $100 bill. It means that even if a superinteligent AI capable of time reversal calculations tried to simulate a time reversal it wouldn’t be able to determine the bill’s value.
It means, that the amount printed on that bill has no effect on the universe, and was never affected by the universe.
Can you think of a scenario where that happens, but the value of dollar bill is still meaningful? Because I can easily describe a scenario where it isn’t:
Dollar bills were originally “promises” for gold. They were signed by the Treasurer and the secretary of the Treasury because the Treasury is the one responsible for fulfilling that promise. Even after the gold standard was abandoned, the principle that the Treasury is the one casting the value into the dollar bills remains. This is why the bills are still signed by the Treasury’s representatives.
So, the scenario I have in mind is that the bill inside the box is a special bill—instead of a fixed amount, it says the Treasurer will decide if it is worth 20 or 100 dollars. The bill is still signed by the Treasurer and the secretary of the Treasury, and thus has the same authority as regular bills. And, in order to fulfill the condition that the value of the bill is never known—the Treasurer is committed to never decide the worth of that bill.
Is it still meaningful to ask, in this scenario, if the bill is worth $20 or $100?
I can understand that your revised scenario is unverifiable, by understanding the words you wrote, ie. by grasping their meaning. As usual, the claim that some things are unverifiable is parasitic on the existence of a kind of meaning that has nothing to do with verifiability.
I’m not sure you realize how strong a statement “the contents of the box can be never be tested” is. It means even if we crack open the box we won’t be able to read the writing on the bill. It means that even if we somehow tracked all the $20 and all the $100 bills that were ever printed, their current location, and whether or not they were destroyed, we won’t be able to find one which is missing and deduce that it is inside the box. It means that even if we had a powerful atom-level scanner that can accurately map all the atoms in a given volume and put the box inside it, it won’t be able to detect if the atoms are arranged like a $20 bill or like a $100 bill. It means that even if a superinteligent AI capable of time reversal calculations tried to simulate a time reversal it wouldn’t be able to determine the bill’s value.
It means, that the amount printed on that bill has no effect on the universe, and was never affected by the universe.
Can you think of a scenario where that happens, but the value of dollar bill is still meaningful? Because I can easily describe a scenario where it isn’t:
Dollar bills were originally “promises” for gold. They were signed by the Treasurer and the secretary of the Treasury because the Treasury is the one responsible for fulfilling that promise. Even after the gold standard was abandoned, the principle that the Treasury is the one casting the value into the dollar bills remains. This is why the bills are still signed by the Treasury’s representatives.
So, the scenario I have in mind is that the bill inside the box is a special bill—instead of a fixed amount, it says the Treasurer will decide if it is worth 20 or 100 dollars. The bill is still signed by the Treasurer and the secretary of the Treasury, and thus has the same authority as regular bills. And, in order to fulfill the condition that the value of the bill is never known—the Treasurer is committed to never decide the worth of that bill.
Is it still meaningful to ask, in this scenario, if the bill is worth $20 or $100?
I can understand that your revised scenario is unverifiable, by understanding the words you wrote, ie. by grasping their meaning. As usual, the claim that some things are unverifiable is parasitic on the existence of a kind of meaning that has nothing to do with verifiability.