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

[Canadamus Prime]

Yes yes, my digital audio instructor at college went over this as well. If you want to get REALLY technical, the vibrations the we, and other organisms, perceive as sound do not actually become sound waves until they're intercepted by an ear or similar organ or device (such as day a microphone) that is capable of perceiving them as sound. However in the tree falling the forest scenario, the vibrations would still be produced regardless and I highly doubt there would be a complete absence of any and all organisms that are capable of perceiving sound. Just because no human is around to hear it...

 

[Littlee300]

?noun
1. the sensation produced by stimulation of the organs of hearing by vibrations transmitted through the air or other medium.
2. mechanical vibrations transmitted through an elastic medium, traveling in air at a speed of approximately 1087 ft. (331 m) per second at sea level.
3. the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause: the sound of music.
4. any auditory effect; any audible vibrational disturbance: all kinds of sounds.
5. a noise, vocal utterance, musical tone, or the like: the sounds from the next room.
6. a distinctive, characteristic, or recognizable musical style, as from a particular performer, orchestra, or type of arrangement: the big-band sound.
7. Phonetics.
a. speech sound.
b. the audible result of an utterance or portion of an utterance: the s-sound in ?slight?; the sound of m in ?mere.?
8. the auditory effect of sound waves as transmitted or recorded by a particular system of sound reproduction: the sound of a stereophonic recording.
9. the quality of an event, letter, etc., as it affects a person: This report has a bad sound.
10. the distance within which the noise of something may be heard.
11. mere noise, without meaning: all sound and fury.
12. Archaic. a report or rumor; news; tidings.
?verb (used without object)
13. to make or emit a sound.
14. to give forth a sound as a call or summons: The bugle sounded as the troops advanced.
15. to be heard, as a sound.
16. to convey a certain impression when heard or read: to sound strange.
17. to give a specific sound: to sound loud.
18. to give the appearance of being; seem: The report sounds true.
19. Law. to have as its basis or foundation (usually fol. by in): His action sounds in contract.
?verb (used with object)
20. to cause to make or emit a sound: to sound a bell.
21. to give forth (a sound): The oboe sounded an A.
22. to announce, order, or direct by or as by a sound: The bugle sounded retreat. His speech sounded a warning to aggressor nations.
23. to utter audibly, pronounce, or express: to sound each letter.
24. to examine by percussion or auscultation: to sound a patient's chest.
?Verb phrase
25. sound off, Informal.
a. to call out one's name, as at military roll call.
b. to speak freely or frankly, esp. to complain in such a manner.
c. to exaggerate; boast: Has he been sounding off about his golf game again?
Origin:
1250?1300; (n.) ME soun < AF (OF son) < L sonus; (v.) ME sounen < OF suner < L son&#257;re, deriv. of sonus

Related forms:
sound&#8901;a&#8901;ble, adjective

Synonyms:
1. Sound, noise, tone refer to something heard. Sound and noise are often used interchangeably for anything perceived by means of hearing. Sound, however, is more general in application, being used for anything within earshot: the sound of running water. Noise, caused by irregular vibrations, is more properly applied to a loud, discordant, or unpleasant sound: the noise of shouting. Tone is applied to a musical sound having a certain quality, resonance, and pitch.
3Plus Storage Management



The definition for sound, a bit big but I don't know how to do a spoiler box...

 

[Sacman]

nothing makes a sound unless you believe it makes a sound...

 

[Russian_Assassin]

Y-yes? I mean how can it not make a sound? Living beings do not bring the laws of nature with them wherever they go!

 

[Canadamus Prime]

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.

 

[Aerodyamic]

If a mime trips in a forest, is it funny?

 

[King of the N00bs]

yesh...yesh it dosh

 

[SomeBritishDude]

Of coarse it makes a fucking noise! What kind of self centered prick thinks nothing happens if they don't know about it or haven't been there! FUCK THIS QUESTION AND FUCK YOU!

...sorry about that. Long day.

 

[WrongSprite]

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.

Haha, owned, just what I was thinking.

In space, nobody can hear you scream...

 

[MajoraPersona]

Depends. Is it a space forest? If so, its fall won't cause any sound.

But if we're talking about a real forest, then yes. Yes, it does.

Of course, it is impossible to know, since the conditions are logically impossible. A forest with no one to hear a tree falling cannot exist; the existence of the forest suggests abundant wildlife, and even the other trees would be affected by the 'sound' of a falling tree.

Sounds are caused by vibrations in matter. If a tree 'falls', then there is a large body whose gravitational field has a profound effect on said tree. When said tree hits said large body, the collision will create a sound. Many animals have parts designed to send signals to the brain based on the vibrations. Human beings aren't the only animals that have this part (known to some as an ear).

So, in short, either it or the bear it lands on will be quite audible.

 

[TheTaco007]

It makes a sound, even if there is nobody there to interpret it and recognize it for what it is.

 

[Jaranja]

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.

Haha, owned, just what I was thinking.

In space, nobody can hear you scream...

If there were Aliens on there, they'd hear it.

 

[lolandrew4]

There will always be sound even if your not there to acknowledge it.

 

[crabwaffles]

The bear sleeping nearby hears it. Something usually hears it, therefore it is usually a sound.

 

[Haiman]

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.

Oh yes it would. Titan is a solid object so sound waves would travel through it. Sure the sound would not reach Earth but there would be sound.

 

[Jammerz]

yes it does!, and whenever someone says it doesn't i say dis "if 2 recently deafened people talk to each other they know they made a sound so it doesn't matter if no one hears it, they still made one"

 

[Xearo_Disaster]

The point of that Zen Koan isn't to find an answer, you realise? ._.
Otherwise, vibrations.

 

[Arkhangelsk]

Sound is nothing but different levels of vibrations. Sound is just our definition of the perception of it. Sound = Vibrations. So yes, it makes a sound. What difference does it make that nobody is there, it still happens. We're not there to perceive it. But it doesn't magically appear just cause we're there. The ground will react to the tree falling, thus it happened. They collided and vibrations created. Thus it happened, and "sound" came.

 

[T3h Merc]

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

Simplicity.