Poll: If a Tree falls in a forest...

[bad rider]

Check the Definition of sound please.. its vibrations being heard.

That vibration will happen, even if it won't be heard.

Prove it

Let's say you're blind and deaf. You can't hear nor see. A tree falls right behind you. Does the sound happen or does it not?


The vibration has to occur in order to be perceived by something that can...well "decode" it. In order to say that the vibration will not happen, you need to prove that the ear is the cause of that vibration. Because if a tree really falls, the vibration will occur, even if it won't be heard by anyone.

Here we have two recievers, so ergo as long as the guitar player knows it's happening it's happening. Whereas in the situation posed there is no reciever. We have no evidence it has made a sound and thus saying it has is ridiculous and comes down to belief.

But it still made the vibration. Just because there isn't a receiver doesn't mean the vibration won't occur. In order to argue that it doesn't, you need to prove that the ear itself causes the vibration.

Your getting ahead of yourself. We have no proof anything to do with sound occured. I'm saying that we can't say the vibration occured, a noise happend, anything. We cannot prove anything to with sound has happend because we don't know.

 

[bad rider]

It's a rhetorical question. You're not supposed to answer yes or no. To believe the question has merit as a philosophical quandary is not to believe that an unobserved falling tree might make no sound.

"No you idiots, it obviously makes a sound! Science says so." <-- epic missing the point

"But the definition of sound is something that is heard." <-- even more epic missing the point

Funny and true.

 

[throwitinthetrash]

Yea, essentially the answer is that it doesn't matter, assuming the sound waves that the tree did/didn't emit didn't/wouldn't effect anything (oh noez, that blade of grass moved!)

 

[K9Lawliet]

Oxford dictionary defines sound as vibrations that travel through the air or some other medium and are sensed by the ear.> a thing that can be heard. Therefore if a tree falls in a forest and nobody is around to hear it, it doesn't make a sound. It just makes a vibration.

 

[AndyFromMonday]

Check the Definition of sound please.. its vibrations being heard.

That vibration will happen, even if it won't be heard.

Prove it

Let's say you're blind and deaf. You can't hear nor see. A tree falls right behind you. Does the sound happen or does it not?


The vibration has to occur in order to be perceived by something that can...well "decode" it. In order to say that the vibration will not happen, you need to prove that the ear is the cause of that vibration. Because if a tree really falls, the vibration will occur, even if it won't be heard by anyone.

Here we have two recievers, so ergo as long as the guitar player knows it's happening it's happening. Whereas in the situation posed there is no reciever. We have no evidence it has made a sound and thus saying it has is ridiculous and comes down to belief.

But it still made the vibration. Just because there isn't a receiver doesn't mean the vibration won't occur. In order to argue that it doesn't, you need to prove that the ear itself causes the vibration.

Your getting ahead of yourself. We have no proof anything to do with sound occured. I'm saying that we can't say the vibration occured, a noise happend, anything. We cannot prove anything to with sound has happend because we don't know.

So we can both agree that we have no idea. Simple has that.

 

[K9Lawliet]

Oxford dictionary defines sound as vibrations that travel through the air or some other medium and are sensed by the ear.> a thing that can be heard. Therefore if a tree falls in a forest and nobody is around to hear it, it doesn't make a sound. It just makes a vibration.

So the only way i could be wrong is if the oxford dictionary is wrong but i think it's a reliable source.

 

[Lukeje]

Oxford dictionary defines sound as vibrations that travel through the air or some other medium and are sensed by the ear.> a thing that can be heard. Therefore if a tree falls in a forest and nobody is around to hear it, it doesn't make a sound. It just makes a vibration.

So the only way i could be wrong is if the oxford dictionary is wrong but i think it's a reliable source.

Actually:

The sensation produced in the organs of hearing when the surrounding air is set in vibration in such a way as to affect these; also, that which is or may be heard; the external object of audition, or the property of bodies by which this is produced. Hence also, pressure waves that differ from audible sound only in being of a lower or a higher frequency.

The OED says that sound may or may not require an observer. It merely states that if someone could hear it, then they would hear it. Hence 'ultrasound' is still a type of sound even though we can't hear it.

 

[Fronken]

...Yes, it does.

In fact, there's no argument against it.
Only the "but you can't prove it!" bullshit.

That argument is probably one of the most retarded things to ever be invented by humans, the whole "but you cant prove/disprove it", its been used by religious fanatics for years now and its really annoying.

 

[K9Lawliet]

Oxford dictionary defines sound as vibrations that travel through the air or some other medium and are sensed by the ear.> a thing that can be heard. Therefore if a tree falls in a forest and nobody is around to hear it, it doesn't make a sound. It just makes a vibration.

So the only way i could be wrong is if the oxford dictionary is wrong but i think it's a reliable source.

Actually:

The sensation produced in the organs of hearing when the surrounding air is set in vibration in such a way as to affect these; also, that which is or may be heard; the external object of audition, or the property of bodies by which this is produced. Hence also, pressure waves that differ from audible sound only in being of a lower or a higher frequency.

The OED says that sound may or may not require an observer. It merely states that if someone could hear it, then they would hear it. Hence 'ultrasound' is still a type of sound even though we can't hear it.

Hey are you saying i need an updated version of OED??
Mine is the eleventh edition revised 2006 what's yours?

 

[Lukeje]

Hey are you saying i need an updated version of OED??
Mine is the eleventh edition revised 2006 what's yours?

The online version; I get access to it through my University.

 

[K9Lawliet]

Doesn't rly help. So it's the latest one right?

 

[Lukeje]

Presumably; it's kept constantly up to date.

http://dictionary.oed.com/

 

[K9Lawliet]

Then it's settled

 

[cold killer pov]

there no reason why it wouldn't make a sound just because someone isnt there, why not as a more debateable and less stupid qustion like, what came first, checken or egg?

personally i think, egg, as the chicken as we know it as to day would developed in the egg and thats where the "evolutionised" chicken would of popped out from.

 

[teh_gunslinger]

I'd also like to mention that if the tree hits a mime, no-one cares.

(/obscure?)

Larson?

EDIT: Nevermind. It seems I was ninjaed.

Spoiler: Ninja in action

I'd also like to mention that if the tree hits a mime, no-one cares.

(/obscure?)

The Farside? I want to say it's The Farside but I really can't remember what it's from with any confidence. All I know is that I was ninja'd. By you.

You are correct. It was a Far Side cartoon. ("If a tree falls in a forest, and no-one is around, and it hits a mime... does anyone care?")

 

[xxcloud417xx]

Yes it did. Scientifically, sound is a bunch of waves that travel through the air. Even if there is no human presence whose ears were close enough to capture those waves, the sound waves are still emitted, thus the sound exists.

 

[Zersy]

I've gotten into arguements about this question, I've checked it on the net lods of times, and even the best scholars fight about the answer.

What does the Escapist Community think?

If a Tree Falls in the forest, and noone is around to hear it fall, does it make a sound?

Now this is an Edit, before you immediately say "yes of course it does" here is the Link to the Definition of Sound, please look at it http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sound

Say if it fell on Uncle Phil ?

 

[bad rider]

Check the Definition of sound please.. its vibrations being heard.

That vibration will happen, even if it won't be heard.

Prove it

Let's say you're blind and deaf. You can't hear nor see. A tree falls right behind you. Does the sound happen or does it not?


The vibration has to occur in order to be perceived by something that can...well "decode" it. In order to say that the vibration will not happen, you need to prove that the ear is the cause of that vibration. Because if a tree really falls, the vibration will occur, even if it won't be heard by anyone.

Here we have two recievers, so ergo as long as the guitar player knows it's happening it's happening. Whereas in the situation posed there is no reciever. We have no evidence it has made a sound and thus saying it has is ridiculous and comes down to belief.

But it still made the vibration. Just because there isn't a receiver doesn't mean the vibration won't occur. In order to argue that it doesn't, you need to prove that the ear itself causes the vibration.

Your getting ahead of yourself. We have no proof anything to do with sound occured. I'm saying that we can't say the vibration occured, a noise happend, anything. We cannot prove anything to with sound has happend because we don't know.

So we can both agree that we have no idea. Simple has that.

Yeah pretty much.

 

[TheFacelessOne]

Yes, because as said before, just because no one's around to hear it doesn't mean it doesn't make a sound.