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From a short story by Robert Lewis Stevenson written in 1891, we get the “bottle imp paradox,” a paradox that shares some qualities with both the Sorites paradox and the unexpected hanging paradox. As the story goes, the protagonist is offered the opportunity to buy, for whatever price he wishes, a bottle containing a genie who will fulfill his every desire. The only catch is that the bottle must thereafter be resold for a price smaller than what he paid for it, or he will be condemned to live out the rest of his days in excruciating torment. Obviously, no one would buy the bottle for 1¢ since he would have to give the bottle away, but no one would accept the bottle knowing he would be unable to get rid of it. Similarly, no one would buy it for 2¢, and so on. However, for some reasonably large amount, it will always be possible to find a next buyer, so the bottle will be bought. But where’s the limit? Makes me wish I could take Prof. Laurence Goldstein’s PHIL 2511 course on “Paradoxes.” Fascinating.