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

[Doug]

Yes it does. The real question is, can you clap with one hand?

It is, in fact, a slap!

 

[traceur_]

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

(/obscure?)

There, fixed that for you.

Anyway yeh I don't really see how the question can be labeled as philosophical, unless the point is that the question is based on whether a human is around to hear it, possibly eluding to our belief that we are superior to animals in some way as to not mention them in question. Damn I just answered my own question, I hate when I do that.

 

[Rivana]

what kind of tree?

 

[Fenixius]

This question is entirely dependant on how you define sound.

If you define sound as the vibrations in the air which our eardrums are sensitive to, and we percieve, then the answer is "Yes, yes it does".

If you define sound as the interpretation of those vibrations (which -will- happen, no matter which way you look at it) by organisms, then no, there isn't a sound. Because nothing percieves it.

...of course, it doesn't really matter. Tree falls over. End of story. That's what happened. If someone was there, then they might have heard something. If not, noone heard anything. Whether or not there was sound is merely semantics.

 

[atomicmrpelly]

I think the only way you can argue that it does not is by arguing that the definition of a 'sound' is vibrations in the air being picked up by a person's ear, and if the vibrations are not picked up by someone's ear they do no constitute a sound... They are still there though!

The best way to answer this question is to just say "Who gives a %$#&!?" and walk off, that is when it's being asked by a poncy philosopher who thinks they're a genius.

 

[almaster88]

Nice, also noone cares if a tree hits a scientologist, thats mother nature's way of showing how stupid scientology is.

Watch and see how long it takes for me to go on probation for that lol

 

[Cubilone]

I believe the right way to express this question is this:

If a tree falls in a forest and no-one is around to hear OR see, did it really fall?

Or to put it another way:

If there is a war going on in the universe, right now, but all the alien combatants are made of dark matter so that no-one apart from themselves can see or know that the war is actually occuring, is the war actually happening as far as everyone who cannot perceive it is concerned?

Also, the real Zen question is this:

If the sound two hands clapping is a clap, what sounds does a single hand clapping make?

Another Zen question: What did your face look like before your parents were born?

Mind you Zen questions aren't supposed to have a logical answer.

 

[SnowCold]

Litrally, Duh! of course it does

Metaphoricly, also yes.

 

[traceur_]

if there are no creatures around (insects etc) I personally think that there are only vibrations and no sound due to the fact that no one is around to pick up the vibrations.

vibration of the air IS sound, it doesn't matter if a being with a brain and organs capable of interpreting those vibrations into what we perceive as sound is in that area, the sound is still there.

 

[Break]

Man you're deep, I like that. I agree completely, most of what "exists" is only through human perception, if we do not perceive it, we assume it does not exist, until it is proven that it does.

It is because something exists, that we can prove that it does. To say that something cannot exist until it is recognised is an impossibility, and exceedingly conceited. Even then, just because something can be proven to the satisfaction of humans, there's still every chance that it doesn't exist at all. For one thing, the whole manner in which science and our understanding of the universe progresses is based on the idea that we can't have all the answers.

Besides, it's not as if the perception ability of humans is particularly reliable. If an elephant stampedes through the living room of a schizophrenic, does it spill the neighbour's tea?

 

[Jadak]

Nope, it will still make vibrations in the air of course.

But the definition of sound involves being heard by something. ie: "Sound: The subjective sensation of hearing something".

So without anything able to hear it, it is not considered sound.

 

[almaster88]

Man you're deep, I like that. I agree completely, most of what "exists" is only through human perception, if we do not perceive it, we assume it does not exist, until it is proven that it does.

It is because something exists, that we can prove that it does. To say that something cannot exist until it is recognised is an impossibility, and exceedingly conceited. Even then, just because something can be proven to the satisfaction of humans, there's still every chance that it doesn't exist at all. For one thing, the whole manner in which science and our understanding of the universe progresses is based on the idea that we can't have all the answers.

Besides, it's not as if the perception ability of humans is particularly reliable. If an elephant stampedes through the living room of a schizophrenic, does it spill the neighbour's tea?

Hmm, interesting. I think that general perception is that ntil humans have proved it exists, they do not recognize it. E.G aliens etc etc.

As for your question, I'd say "no", but I'm probably wrong. I gotta log off now, damn, please keep posting your opinions, and message me if you like. I'll check back later

 

[Dessembrae]

yes of course it will!

a more interesting question would be "if a tree falls in a vacuum, does it make a sound?"

Thats not a very ahrd question. Sound is vibrations on the air. No air= no sound. Solved

P.S sound could also be in water, but no water= no sound,. Double solved, oh snap

definition of sound:
"mechanical vibrations transmitted through an elastic medium, traveling in air at a speed of approximately 331 m per second at sea level."

now an elastic medium can be a gas, solid or liquid. witch means that the sound waves would propagate in the soil instead of the nonexistent air.

 

[Psypherus]

Do they really still argue about that? That's stupid. Sound is vibrations in the air, whereither they're picked up or not, a falling tree will still make those.

^This^

And this is one of those questions that show the general stupidity of philosiphy.

 

[ArcadianTrance]

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?

Obviously they don't, trees are secretly evil.
That's why they break the laws of physics when we're not around.
/Sarcasm

 

[ptitqui]

This question depends on what your definition of a sound is. When a tree falls it creates ripples in the air around it that spread out into a finite space. If there is no one/ nothing around, the ripple in the air cannot be translated into what we know as sound by the brain.

So if you mean it makes waves? Yes, of course it does.

But if you consider sound to literally be "something that is heard" then no.

 

[Howlingwolf214]

Squirrels can hear it. So yes.

 

[PureChaos]

Obviously it makes a sound. There is no spiritual, religious, wishy washy arguement that can combat the fact that it makes a sound

This.

I believe I had a blog post on this once.
Let me find it.
Here it is;

Yes. Whether or not there is a human around, vibrations are still made. Critters, ants, buts, animals, birds, might all still be around to hear and feel the tree falling.

Stop trying to sound intelligent with your philosophical bullshit that's had the same answer for years. People keep trying to look smart by spouting these outdated questions that supposedly have multiple answers when it really doesn't. They ask these things to try and distract people from their hidden idiocy

what they said

 

[Amiel]

If I remember correctly this is one of 7 or 8 (i think) questions that were posed to buddist monks. They spent their lives in contemptlation of life and death and these questions. It took decades of this but when one could answer all of the questions they were considered to have achieved enlightenment. But as i said this was after decades of contemplation of the questions.

 

[Break]

Hmm, interesting. I think that general perception is that ntil humans have proved it exists, they do not recognize it. E.G aliens etc etc.

As for your question, I'd say "no", but I'm probably wrong. I gotta log off now, damn, please keep posting your opinions, and message me if you like. I'll check back later

It wasn't a real question. I trying to point out that, until you can definitively prove that your entire life isn't just the hallucination of a mental patient, or a line of code in a highly-advanced computer game, or a side-story in the dreams of a hypergalactic space whale, I would hesitate to claim that I know whether something undoubtedly exists or not, based on such a weak and easily fooled thing, as "human recognition".