If a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound?

[shyguysteve]

yes, no... maybe?

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

well yes its a tree it will make a sound.

no, no one can hear it, it makes no sound.

maybe... how big is the tree?

One of the oldest joke questions.

[lemmingllama]

No sound would be made if nothing could hear it. However, it would create vibrations. These vibrations do not become sound until a device recieves them and make them sound. So no sound

[† Ferocia Coutura]

No sound would be made if nothing could hear it. However, it would create vibrations. These vibrations do not become sound until a device recieves them and make them sound. So no sound

Not necassarily. It still makes vibrations, which causes a sound. Just because nothing is there to perceive the sound, doesn't mean its not there.

[lemmingllama]

Not necassarily. It still makes vibrations, which causes a sound. Just because nothing is there to perceive the sound, doesn't mean its not there.

The vibrations are there, this is very true. But your ear drum is what makes those vibrations into sound. Otherwise its just vibrations. So if there was nothing to percieve it, then no sound would be made, vibrations would be made

[Katongo]

It makes vibrations hence sound, am afraid i have to disagree with Lemmingllama

What is sound? sound are vibrations, regard less weather you can hear them or not it doesn't change that fact that it is still sound because there are vibrations for example when Bats communicate to each other the produce vibrations of course human's can hear them but this doesn't mean it's not sound.

You are saying if you can't hear the vibration's that make you hear sound that means the is no sound there is fault in that statement because that would be from one's point of view i will use the same example has before, if you tried to speak to a bat(i.e it could hear humans) and it didn't respond and said there is no sound but of course there is sound just at a different amplitude & frequency.

The Vibration we hear has sound do not change when we receive them from the auditory nerve the just use a different means of transporting the same thing. Our Brain receives the amplitude & frequency to interpret the vibration has sound. I hope that clears out some things and do correct me if am wrong

[Leviathan87]

of course theres sound.

[† Anras Rune]

Nope, no sound is made. Nothing is there to precieve it, so in truth the tree itself doesn't even exist. Nothing does so unless percieved by another.

Also, katongo's explaination of sound isn't at all relevant in this conversation, ntm your definition is a little off. Again, this is a widely known philosophical question, not a science discussion. For the record, lemming is right, it is the human eardrum and brain that turn the oscillations into "sound".

[shyguysteve]

There is one situation where a tree did fall in the forest, with nobody around for miles, but the echo of that fall made it to someones cabin.

a similar incident was that someone who hikes in the woods for a daily routine, notices that a tree did fall, but this person heard nothing while only living a few miles outside the hiking area.

this question or riddle is elusive because you won't entirely know anything about it, unless you experience it xd.

[Reptoholic]

So what you saying is, if there is no person around to hear it then there is no sound ? What about all the animals, They may not perceive thing as we do , but they still hear sound. No matter where it falls, some kind of animal would be in the vicinity to hear the sound. What about if a camera caught it on tape, at the moment, there was no one to hear it, but the camera recorded it and we heard it on a later time. Just cause WE weren't that in real time, doesn't' mean it didn't happen. There are many sounds we cannot hear that animals can, yet we can't say they are not there, we are just not able to hear them or perceive them into sound.

Have you ever been around an old Tube Television when it is on the fritz? Some times you can hear this faint ringing that will drive you crazy, it is soft , but it sounds so loud. Well just because others can't hear it doesn't mean it is not here. Some people have good hearing while others don't, but because one cannot hear it, does not mean it does not exit.

[Leviathan87]

its called sound waves. in space theres no sound wavez at all

[DrumRoll]

If a tree falls in the forest and I don't give a fuck....does it make a sound? Just turn the damn thing into an ikea flat-pack and move on:D

[† Mute point]

If the tree fell in the vaccum of space, there would be no sound due to the lack of air to carry vibrations. If it falls in the forest, no matter if anyone is around to hear it, the air still carries the vibrations, and thus sound.

[xAaronx]

Simple it does make a sound just because theres no one around to hear it,if it fall's it WILL make noise regardless.

It's not like the tree can think "Oh goodie no ones around now I'll just sit down so no one can hear my snoring" ....rofl XD

but yeah it will make a sound no matter what unless its some kinda ninja tree

[CaNzCo]

By definition, it does make a sound.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sound

Now, if we want to discuss the philosophy of existence we can start from this point on. In this joke, the tree in a secluded forest is proven to exist by the fact that it says a "tree falls." We know of the existence of many things without human senses detecting them. I can't hear a dog whistle, but it does make a sound... my Pit Bull told me so.

I guess I can't prove anything with out proving that you are not the center of the universe, and all existence is based around what you see, hear and know... however I can make a good attempt at convincing you otherwise:

I have a secret, and I am not telling you what it is. Now, if you are the center of the universe, and nothing occurs unless you perceive it, than my secret simply cannot actually exist; I assure you it does though.

We don't live in the matrix, where your life is just your mind being led by its senses. We live in an ever expanding universe, perhaps one of many. That sound a tree makes when falling has just as much of a right to exist as I do, and the same goes for you.

[Alegend1994]

I guess I can't prove anything with out proving that you are not the center of the universe, and all existence is based around what you see, hear and know... however I can make a good attempt at convincing you otherwise:

I have a secret, and I am not telling you what it is. Now, if you are the center of the universe, and nothing occurs unless you perceive it, than my secret simply cannot actually exist; I assure you it does though.

Well actually if you have a secret that has only existed in your mind then that secret actually doesn't exist because your mind and the physical universe are separate things only through communication can they be transferred.

Also since this is a philoscophical question there is no unique answer because the answers available are neither right nor wrong, since the answer is right to the person who has chosen it.

If we take the example in the first post and say that there is nothing around to acknowledge the tree falling, this works because this is only a hypothetical scenario, then I believe that the tree does not make a sound because when the tree hits the ground kinetic energy is converted into sound energy. But the only way to distinguish between any kind of energy is advanced equipment, ears being the advanced equipment in this case, otherwise any energy may as well be labelled as just energy without the correct equipment to identify it. Therefore the forest is surrounded by energy after the tree has fallen but this doesn't necessarily mean that the sound has been created, since we cannot determine whether sound exists as a universal concept or is a creation within the mind.

[Yumeria]

Yes it does ^^

Just because no one is around to hear it, it doesn't mean it doesn't make a sound ^^

Laws of physics also says yes.. Unless, it's a weightless tree ~(O_O)~

[DrumRoll]

what if the tree fell onto a drumkit?

[lemmingllama]

what if the tree fell onto a drumkit?

[Monad-Gnostis]

Yes, there are trees everywhere you look around here.

[CaNzCo]

Well actually if you have a secret that has only existed in your mind then that secret actually doesn't exist because your mind and the physical universe are separate things only through communication can they be transferred.

By that logic, thoughts, emotions, dreams, knowledge, and instincts don't exist either. Scientists have been able to map neural pathways, allowing you to see concrete evidence of thoughts and how they are made. This is the link that clearly shows your mind is part of the physical universe, but you already knew that since you have experienced all of this first hand by being able to think. I just used a secret as an example anyways, the main thing I was trying to get across is that existence is larger than what an individual person perceives.

...I believe that the tree does not make a sound because when the tree hits the ground kinetic energy is converted into sound energy. But the only way to distinguish between any kind of energy is advanced equipment, ears being the advanced equipment in this case, otherwise any energy may as well be labelled as just energy without the correct equipment to identify it. Therefore the forest is surrounded by energy after the tree has fallen but this doesn't necessarily mean that the sound has been created, since we cannot determine whether sound exists as a universal concept or is a creation within the mind.

By definition, sound is not just a creation within the mind, therefore when the question states "does the tree make a sound" you don't need to bother with identifying it. Logic dictates that when trees fall, they make a sound... typically a big one. If you conduct a test and knock a tree down as many times as you like, they will always make a sound. You will find that your presence is not required through various, error free recording machines, And you will never see any data that points to the contrary.