Board Thread:The Reference Desk/@comment-63.143.235.110-20130510130704/@comment-865955-20130523172613

I don't think it's inconsistent as such, it just hasn't been explained in excruciating detail to us. A lot of it's been left vague presumably because it's assumed to be well outside the realm of what our current human science can explain. (And noone here in the real world knows how to actually build a TARDIS I suspect, so don't expect fully functioning blueprints anytime soon...)

To use an analogy, consider what really does 'power' a car? If you answered "the engine", try taking your battery out and seeing how far you get. If you think it's the battery, try removing the alternator and going for a long drive. And then try using it without a gas tank.

Like a car, there are a lot of different components the TARDIS needs in order to run properly. You can have fun speculating on how the TARDIS works, and by all means do! Just realise that it is indeed speculation on how it all fits together, except for the few bits of information the Doctor has told us while 'dumbing it down' for the people around him.