If a tree falls in a forest and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

[KAPTAINmORGANnWo4life]

If I had to pick an answer, I say yes. Just because nobody is there to interpret it, doesn't mean nobody could if they were there.

It can be summed up as: if a bomb goes off, but nobody sees it, did it still go off?

By the laws of Physics? Yes.
By the laws of Human Perception? No.

Simplicity.

From a neutral standpoint, though, this.

 

[Shenanigans176]

Yes. Using the scientific method you can determine that there is sound being emitted, but it cannot be heard to prove it. Using the same concept, why wouldn't you just use a flipping tape recorder? You're not there, but when it falls any noise would be recorded so you can hear it later.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Only if PETA finds out about it

 

[Wicky_42]

Search bar approved, last topic was half a year ago.

Piss off, I remember posting in that last topic and I'm worse for the drink so it can't be that far off :/ That last conversation was answered with 'it's not a question, it's a philosophical term used to help you understand if you see the world scientifically or otherwise' or something. Basically, you answer 'yeah, it causes vibrations which cause what we define as sound, - doesn't matter if there are people there or not, duh', or as 'sound is only something people hear so no, as there are no people, duh.'

/thread and all that. Made as much interesting reading as it does this time. Lazy thread.

 

[dududf]

hee hee My ace in the whole when it comes to this question...

Even though YOU an't hear it, sound is being made. Proof?

Leave a tape recorder there, even if YOU didn't hear it sound was made, and was recorded.

 

[ottenni]

Search bar approved, last topic was half a year ago.

What is sound? The interpretation of vibrations in a medium by the ear. When I hit my hand on a table, it creates vibrations in the table and air. The vibrations in the air travel and reach my ear, where it is interpreted by the brain as sound. Thus, if the vibrations aren't interpreted as sound, then it doesn't make a sound, right? Just vibrations, right?

I counter you with this <throws poke-riddle>

What came first, the chicken of the egg?

The egg. Other animals lay eggs too. As an example we shall use reptiles. Reptilespredate chickens so the egg came first.

 

[goldenheart323]

Sooo... the Escapist forum is also an "I'm too lazy to look up the definition of a word" forum? And if it was asked 6 months ago, why ask it again now? Did no one gave a good answer last time? Did dictionaries change the definition of the word? Do you think the laws of physics have changed since then? Seriously.

"What is sound?" is not a philosophical question. You already made the assumption the tree exists, & it fell. If it fell, it hit the ground. If it hit anything, it made a sound. If you want a mind bending question, delve into quantum mechanics. However, if you're too lazy to look up the definition of a word, just check out these youtube videos about it.

The double slit experiment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_BzTMeV4HI&feature=related
Electrons act like waves... until we measure them directly. Then, they act like particles.

Quantum Tunneling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LKjJT7gh9s&feature=SeriesPlayList&p=305357ACC216006C
Atomic particles can randomly pass right through solid barriers they shouldn't be able to.

Those 2 are just the tip of the quantum iceberg of weirdness.

...and yes, I think the other trees do laugh at it.

 

[omega 616]

Wrong. Sound IS the vibration of particles (mind you ANY particles, not just air) that moves in waves away from the whatever caused the sound. So even if there's no one to hear the tree falling, it still produces the said vibrations, meaning it does make a sound. Doesn't matter if anyone hears it or not.

Thats a bit wrong, just because particles are moving doesn't mean it's making any sound, if you hold a metal bar at one end and the other over a fire over after a certain amount of time you will burn your hand because the particles are vibrating faster than they are when there cold, it doesn't make a sound though. Sorry for nit picking.

On topic: To put it another way if your nan falls over and breaks her hip but no bodies around to hear it does she make a noise? Yes but no body calls for an ambulance.

 

[Autumnflame]

best example dog whistle, higher pitch than we can hear to a dog there is a sound to us there isnt.

frequencey and pressure waves, pitch and volume. if it doesnt register in the ear as sound its not sound just air moving

 

[GrandAm]

This long standing philisophical/logic riddle has a major problem in the question.

The word "nobody." Nobody is a word in English referring in this case to a non-presence of any humans. There are many other animals besides humans that can hear. Bears, deer, rabbits, insects, etc. Many of which live in that forest even though there is no human around to hear the tree fall.

Because of the other creatures living there that have aural organs to interperate sound, the answer is yes.

If "nobody" is to mean no creature at all, then it is subjective debate.

 

[sam13lfc]

Um. Yes. It does make a sound. There are vast frequencies of sound that humans can't hear, meaning they don't get interpreted by the brain, yet they're still sounds. So if you're not around to hear one it's the same principle.

 

[Xanadu84]

Search bar approved, last topic was half a year ago.

What is sound? The interpretation of vibrations in a medium by the ear. When I hit my hand on a table, it creates vibrations in the table and air. The vibrations in the air travel and reach my ear, where it is interpreted by the brain as sound. Thus, if the vibrations aren't interpreted as sound, then it doesn't make a sound, right? Just vibrations, right?

I counter you with this <throws poke-riddle>

What came first, the chicken of the egg?

The egg. The egg was laid by an animal which, genetically, was almost exactly like, but not quite enough to be considered, a chicken.

Or, the cheaper answer of, "The egg. Eggs existed in species which predate the chicken".

 

[Xanadu84]

If you define sound as vibrations, yes. If you define sound as something a person hears, no. I'm pretty sure there's nothing else to say about the matter.

 

[Zeromaeus]

It both makes a sound and doesn't make a sond simultaeneously...
Its also standing, falling, and fallen at the same time until observed otherwise...

 

[ottenni]

Search bar approved, last topic was half a year ago.

What is sound? The interpretation of vibrations in a medium by the ear. When I hit my hand on a table, it creates vibrations in the table and air. The vibrations in the air travel and reach my ear, where it is interpreted by the brain as sound. Thus, if the vibrations aren't interpreted as sound, then it doesn't make a sound, right? Just vibrations, right?

I counter you with this <throws poke-riddle>

What came first, the chicken of the egg?

The egg. Other animals lay eggs too. As an example we shall use reptiles. Reptilespredate chickens so the egg came first.

So you're telling me a reptile laid an egg and from that egg, a chicken was born?

I know birds are meant to be descended from dinosaurs but that ^^ is still a bit of a stretch.

Ok then, I'll alter the question. What came first, the reptile or the egg?

I'll put it more simply for you. A reptile laid an egg. And then eventually a chicken came to be millions of years later. The point being eggs were around before chickens.

 

[Ekonk]

Fuck this. If a meteorite slams into Titan where, by defenition, no-one is around to hear it, does it make sound?

Spoiler

OF COURSE IT FUCKING DOES.

Actually since sound doesn't travel in a vacuum, no it wouldn't.

Titan has an atmosphere, so yes it would.