Paradox Kitty is in your box.. maybe

[Demagog]

The answer could also be neither, if the cat doesn't exist. Sure, we put a cat in there then closed the box, but how do we know the cat didn't suddenly stop existing? Then, when we open the box, the cat reappears without us noticing it was even gone in the first place. It wouldn't matter if it reappeared alive or dead. The real answer would be neither. We likely wouldn't even consider the possibility that the cat temporarily stopped existing and conclude that the cat was either dead or alive while in the box.

[bojengles77]

The answer could also be neither, if the cat doesn't exist. Sure, we put a cat in there then closed the box, but how do we know the cat didn't suddenly stop existing? Then, when we open the box, the cat reappears without us noticing it was even gone in the first place. It wouldn't matter if it reappeared alive or dead. The real answer would be neither. We likely wouldn't even consider the possibility that the cat temporarily stopped existing and conclude that the cat was either dead or alive while in the box.

Yes, but if the cat "stopped existing" does that qualify as being dead? Is there a state in which life is neither dead, nor alive, nor both, nor either, nor neither? that it just IS? Or if it stopped existing, did it simply "die" temporarily? hmm...

[Demagog]

Something is dead if it was once alive. The key word is something. If the cat doesn't exist, it's no longer something, and therefore can not be dead nor alive. Besides, the question is asking about the state of the cat inside the box. If the cat stops existing, it's no longer inside the box. Talk about thinking outside the box :-p

[hello5666]

17 pople for both.

[Ant-n-ero]

/me casts Quintessence on Paradox Kitty - PK is now Immortal and cannot die by raidoactive things as it cannot target PK

I WIN!

[King of doom]

I say either because it has 50% chance to die and 50% chance to not die

[IStoneI]

bojengles has a point, there is no proof whatsoever, that something like a soul exists. if it doesnt, there is no difference between the cat not existing and being dead. on the other hand, there would be the problem, why the cat suddenly should stop existing, just because we're not observing it.

[Arondight]

That reminds me of Dr. Duncan MacDougall (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duncan_MacDougall_%28doctor%29)

[Purity_Riot]

The cat is alive. Nothing exists beyond perception, or at the very least, you can't know that it does. Therefore, the death of the cat cannot occur without your knowledge. The cat is alive until you open the box. If it is still alive, then it was alive the whole time. If it's dead, then it died upon your perceiving it's death.

If a friend of mine dies, and I never hear about it, I will speak of him in the present tense, and be correct, for he is alive for all intents and purposes, until I find out he has died.

[asymmetry]

Both! it's a radioactive zombie kitten!

[Zac33333]

Both, for Even in death, its Neuron cells remain living, and will decay to form new life with the radioactive matter. I win.

[Xinef]

The lolcat is alive because if it were to die, it would send a telepathic message to you 'u b45t4rd, u ki113th m3!'
so, unless you received such a telepathic message, it means the lolcat is alive.

If you did receive it, it is probably a lolcats joke, because it can change into a stream of bytes to escape the box.