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Show me another »If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it still make a sound?
I know this is such a cliche question, but I started thinking about it and realized that it's actually a bit complex.
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
Well sound is: "the sensation produced by stimulation of the organs of hearing by vibrations transmitted through the air or other medium."
So technically, if the energy vibrations that would cause sound never reach the 'organs of hearing', then no- it does not make a sound.
It's kind of like the 'Schroeders Cat' experiment...you never know unless you observe it, but to observe it would change the outcome...
So technically, if the energy vibrations that would cause sound never reach the 'organs of hearing', then no- it does not make a sound.
It's kind of like the 'Schroeders Cat' experiment...you never know unless you observe it, but to observe it would change the outcome...
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Isn't that the Schrodinger's Cat experiment you're referencing, not Schroeder? Plus, that experiment doesn't mean that to observe changes the outcome; actually, when the observation is made that is when the outcome takes place. Before then, whatever is being observed was in a state in-between.
Didn't a British philosopher caome up with this in the 20th century?
San Dimas High School Football Rules!
Couldnt you technically leave a recorder in a forest, and when a tree eventually falls, you would see if it makes a sound? :p
The best answer given Did not explain more in details as far as creatures that live in the woods. I can almost gaurentee that anywhere theres a tree theres a creature and im sure the creature heard it. it would probably be possible in space but trees dont grow in space.
Sounds is just sound, it's not sound because you heard it, it's sound because it's just sound.
If a tree fell and you werent around to hear it, it made a sound. It probably made quite a large sound too.
Let's not over complicate such a simple thing people.
If a tree fell and you werent around to hear it, it made a sound. It probably made quite a large sound too.
Let's not over complicate such a simple thing people.
"In truth the forest hears each sound, each blade of grass as it lies down. The world requires no audience...no witnesses...no witnesses..." - bright eyes
If it requires functioning ears for a sound to occur, couldn't someone who is deaf go cut down a tree and have a tape recorder running to see if it makes a sound?
The only problem with this "answer" is that the definition of sound does not say human ears. Can birds not hear? can other forest creatures not hear? So by the definition given then yes it will make a sound because although no human may hear, there are animals hearing the tree fall.
Actually sound is waves created that allow thing with hearing sensory organs to hear(Hints the term soundwave). So technically the tree falling would make a sound.
Autumn - the "best answer" is dead wrong. Sound is NOT "the sensation produced..." Sound is NOT a "sensation" at all - she's defining HEARING, not sound. Sound is expressed in waves, and those waves are created whether someone hears them or not.
The question, a philosophical one, is really asking, "if no one is there to witness an event, how do we know what or if it happened." The answer is simple: yes. Trees falling produce vibrations. Vibrations make sounds, even if no one hears them. At least on earth.
This is a little piece torn off a much bigger question. Does the universe exist if there's no one around to observe it? Quantum theory would suggest the answer is no....
Yes, it was the Austrian Nobel Laureate Erwin Schroedinger who had the cat, not the Peanuts character. This whole question is moot nonsense. It is like asking, "Is it cheaper to go to Phoenix or by bus?" The question itself has no answer, and is not logically interesting. Unless you are a moron.
i would ask the squirrel and it will tell me if the tree made a sound and i will pass on the answer
i choose to answer this question with another question
if a fat girl falls in the woods, do the trees laugh?
if a fat girl falls in the woods, do the trees laugh?
depends on how close you are sound do travel, the closer the louder, to be able to feel it or hear it the closer the better just like a VIBRATOR.
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.
Forgot this definition.
Forgot this definition.
Of course, It makes a SOUND when it hits at the woods becuase of the pressure and it's own weight... the fact is, NOBODY just HEARD it but made sound without noticing it. Right? :P
Of course it does, just because one is not there to witness it does not mean it doesn't make a sound. If you tested tree falling down millions of times and it makes a sound, then theoretically u can conclude that it will make a sound no matter who is around it.
umm i think the answer is no, because in order for something to make a sound,,it requires it to be HEARD! so if nothing is around to HEAR it then it cant make a sound.
Well, I still think it would make a sound. Okay, say no one is there to hear it. That doesn't mean the sound is improbable, but it could be the other way around. =P
The "best answer" is a description of the definition of hearing, not what sound is. Sound is vibrations traveling through air, water, or some other medium, especially those within the range of frequencies that can be perceived by the human ear. The vibrations exist whether they are heard or not.
the tree has made a sound, just no one was around to hear it
it just made a sound that no one could hear
it just made a sound that no one could hear
maybe there is someone in the forrest, but theyre deaf. what now??
However Autumn is correct with her definition of sound she ignores the fact the humans are not the only creatures in the world that are capable of hearing sound. Animals and insects can hear as well and if a tree falls in the forest there will be a living a living creature to hear it so YES it does.
Yes it still makes it sound, as there would be insects, mammals and animals that would be affected by the sound as well. Sound does not evolve around a humans, we evolve around sound.
If there's enough life in a given area for a tree to grow, there will surely be other life forms in that same area close enough to hear it fall.
It criticizes existentialism in English with every snapping twig...
thts stupid, people are over complecating the question. thats like saying" if i burp and no body else is around to har it, is it stilla burb?" of corse it'll make a noise its a tree regardless of the size of tree, the things around etc. it'll still make a noise how do i know? common freaken sense!
If no one is around how do we know that the tree has fallen?
A tree falling would produce sound waves.To hear it requires a human or animal to collect the sound waves into their ear and process it as a sound. A simple solution to this answer.
Sounds like the human version of the dog chasing it's tail.
Yes, it would emit a sound:
If every living organism was removed from the area so no organs were affected b the air movement, and a tape recorder was placed in the area on record and the tree fell, even though no sensory organs recieved the data, the tape recorder would prove it occurred.
If every living organism was removed from the area so no organs were affected b the air movement, and a tape recorder was placed in the area on record and the tree fell, even though no sensory organs recieved the data, the tape recorder would prove it occurred.
Interesting... I'm too dumb for this one lol ;)
Chuck Norris hears it....
Of course it makes a sound nothing changest other then noone hears it. If a car crashed into a tree in the middle of no where it would still make a crashing noise even if house & people were close enough to hear. Thats like say how do you know Canada & Saudi Arabia or Iraq exist if you've never been
Of course it makes a sound. Just because a human isn't there to hear it, doesn't mean anything. This is the most idiotic joke question ever to be posed. Oh yeah, and by the way...I'm sure the animals scampering away from the falling tree hear it just fine. DUhhhhh...
You mean "Schrödinger's Cat". Freakin idiot!
did it fall on a squirrel?
To chris: Sound is not sound. Sound is a vibration of air and nothing more. It doesn't become a sound unless that Vibration hits something that can perceive it as such. This means that if there is NOTHING there to HEAR it then it does NOT make a sound. It simply makes a vibration of air,
that sounds stupid to me, even a stupid question or 1 a small child may ask.if a mountain lion bites a human in the woods yes it makes a lot of sound but we are just not there to see it and if it happened to any of you yes you would be hearing yourself +the cat, to think not is selfish,small minded
THE ANIMALS AROUND WOULD HEAR IT.
THEREFORE SOUND EXIST.
IS IT BECAUSE HUMANS DON'T HEAR SOUND THAT SOUND DOES NOT EXIST?
WE'RE ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES IN THE FOREST !
THEREFORE SOUND EXIST.
IS IT BECAUSE HUMANS DON'T HEAR SOUND THAT SOUND DOES NOT EXIST?
WE'RE ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES IN THE FOREST !
Sound is a vibration transfered by the air that is perceived a certain frequency. Now, if a tree falls in the woods and no human hear it other species do hear it. Then, the tree still being affected by gravity and the molecules present in the air acting as conductors of its sudden vibration. Marlen
Wrong best answer. The best answer is describing hearing more than sound. Sound is generated by minute fluctuations in air pressure, whether someone hears them or not is irrelevant since those vibrations could be measured by instruments that would void the provision for someone being present.
i pooped my pants
I think it was Plato who philosophized that if we don't see or hear objects around us that they don't really exist, but then again if a deaf person is killed by a falling tree does it mean the tree didn't make a sound when it fell?
some of the responses are interesting; So, if no-one is around.does that include animals, as they do have ability to hear, if it falls they move out of the way....or is it the movement???
If no one were around to hear or read your question would you exist?
Ok, so i have read a few of these replies and even the one that was chosen as the best answer... I can tell you that if the sound vibrations are being made then the sound is there... just becuase there is noboby around to receive that vibration doesnt mean that there is no sound. Use your head
I'd like to comment on what "flare" had to say. Sound isn't a component of this world, it is a by-product there of.
Going back to basic Physics and the rules of sounds waves. It should definitely create a sound. The only reason why it would not make a sound is if the tree was in a air-tight vacuum space. Sound waves travel through the air, thus a sound will be produced even if no one is around.
Of course it makes a sound. It's saying "Help! I've fallen and can't get back up!"
Yes, Even though you may not hear it, possibly an animal who is close by does hear the tree falling. So yes it will always make a sound but you will not always hear it.
This question represents man's arrogant self centering sense. "Because I am not there to see(hear) it, does it really happen?" Accompanying sound are vibrations that are detected by beings who can not hear the same as we do. With the addition of force, and gravity, a sound is most definitely made
omg you people are seriously dumb. and trying to sound all big and technical. let me put it this way..you plant something. then you leave for work one morning and its nothing but a pot of soil you come home to find its sprouted. BUT YOU DIDNT SEE IT SPROUT SO DOES THAT MEAN IT DIDN'T?!
technically just because you dont hear it doesnt mean it doesnt make a noise, like if i was stnding next to someone and they fell it would make a noise, and if they were alone and they fell they would still make a noise i just wouldnt be there to here it so there you go
Sound is nothing more then a word we have given a vibration of air. That's all sound is. If there is NOTHING there to hear it then there is NO sound. It's just a vibration.
just because it hasnt reached anyones ears doesnt mean its not there or available to be heard. so yes it does make a sound, the sound is still there waiting to be heard. also there are more ways to "hear" sound then with your ears.
well, sound is the result f a vibration, and it always happens when a tree falls and someone DOES hear it, so it's only logical to say it makes a sound, even if no one's there to say it did.
Autumn is stupid and dead wrong as said before. Sound is expressed in a vibration to be simple. Schrödinger's Cat which she spell wrong is a very complex observation that very few common people would understand the background with. If you were deaf you would still feel the vibration if the tree fell
If no one was around, how'd they know that a tree had fallen.
For one, the definition of sound is: Transmitted vibrations of any frequency. They do not need to be heard for them to exist. However, even if they did then there are other creatures who would have heard the noise, like the animals of the forest.
To Shawn - The question states "no one"; no one doesn't equate to "nothing". The question implies a person, or people, but totally dismisses the animals in the woods.
The so-called "best answer" missed the point entirely. It's not a scientific question but a philosophical one, which boils down to this: Is perception reality? Does the universe go about its business without us, or do events only have meaning when we are there to witness them? My answer is "yes".
Simply put, yes it does make a sound as it is audible regardless of who is or is not present to actually hear it... it does not make a noise however, as a noise would imply a life form's reaction to the sound.
This is what one would consider a Zen Koan. It is meant to trigger the mind into breaking free of its limitations and restrictions and opening to the reality of existence. What you consider as reality is dream within a dream. This Koan tries to short circuit your mind so you can know your mind!
This question is easily answered by how you define "sound".
If sound is defined as the vibrations produced in the air by the movement of matter then yes it does make a sound.
If sound is defined as an action that is perceived by the ear, then no, it does not.
If sound is defined as the vibrations produced in the air by the movement of matter then yes it does make a sound.
If sound is defined as an action that is perceived by the ear, then no, it does not.
To Christin: You are very correct!! That's why the the answer lies within how the question is phrased!
Before you try to sound smart how about checking wikipedia. Schrödinger's cat, Schroeder is the piano player in Peanuts. Did he have a cat too?
I disagree with the Top Answer. Another (perhaps more technical) definition of sound is: "mechanical radiant energy that is transmitted by longitudinal pressure waves in a material medium " - i.e. - soundwaves. The tree falling will still create soundwaves, ergo, sound. It will not create "noise"!
The harder question is, "If a man speaks in a forest and a woman is not around to hear him, is he still wrong?"
And yes (yes way?), San Dimas High School Football rules...
And yes (yes way?), San Dimas High School Football rules...
when people are long and gone and trees are still around and a tree falls does it make a sound? is the better question.
I definitely DO NOT like the top answer, sound is not "the sensation produced by stimulation of the organs of hearing by vibrations transmitted through the air or other medium"; hearing is the sensation. Sound would be the vibrations that are triggering the sensation.
This is ridiculous. Of course it makes noise. Whether or not anyone is around to hear it is irrelevant.
no offense but it's Schrödinger's cat, you just used the name of a band there autumn...oh wait, someone already said that, sorry.
Yes, it makes a sound. You know why? Because when trees fall they make noise..it doesn't matter if anyone is there or not. Have you ever see a tree fall silently? Probably not, you know why...? B/c it doesnt happen. I hate this stupid question...why do ppl WANT to answer no?
i think this is just a dump retorical questio
The selected answer is very narcissistic. Just because you didn't hear the sound doesn't matter. Forests are populated with many living things. Those living things would hear the sound.
This answer is right up there with asking if everyone else ceases to exist while you sleep and after you die.
This answer is right up there with asking if everyone else ceases to exist while you sleep and after you die.
one thing is how would you know it fell in the first place? but yes it would make a sound if it were confirmed it had fallen, yet no one was around to see or hear it but if a tree had fallen it would make a sound now matter what because its the transfer of energy, which cant be destroyed or created.
Tom in Buff is correct in the chosen answer is wrong. That answer neglects the first part of the definition of sound. This is not dependend on any listening device being present, only on the pressure waves being within the required strength and frequency not if something is there to pick it up.
I know that the question is already resolved, but here's my opinion... I think it still does make a sound... no one just know it... It was like asking whether someone really dies (where in fact someone really dies)on an accident that no one knows that happened! The fact is it still does happened.
Well I hate to break anyones heart....but AUTUMN is about as CORRECT as it is going to get. Yes the falling tree IS going to emit vibrations, but SOUND itself is the result of them being broken down in the actually organ. So if there is NO ONE OR THING to HEAR it.......NO SOUND...ONLY VIBRATION.
"sound" is merely vibration picked up by the hearing organs of animals capable of auditory reception. If there are no animals capable of auditory reception within the range of the vibrations, as the question implies, then there is no sound...merely vibration. It's a pretty simple answer.
Question: If a man says something in a forest, and there is no woman around to correct him, is he still wrong?
If I were being attacked and I screamed for help, and no one came to help me does that mean that I didn't make a sound ? Not likely, and if someone did hear me and still didn't come to my aid then the outcome would be the same, if I was heard or not.... so much for 'Schroeders Dead Cat' LOL
The question could only be posed and debated by humans. It shows how arrogant and silly we are. If our ears are not present then it is inconsequential. The Earth and all its animals can't wait till we're gone.
NOOOOOO people , its does not make a sound. sound is something that you have to hear for it to exist. when a tree hits the makes impact and send off sound waves to your ear, vibrate the organs and create the sound. if this process does not happen!!!!... then sound does not exist!!!!!!!
Yes it makes a sound - anyone who says otherwise didn't pay attention in HS science. Sound is a wave, just like light. It does not need to be observed to be real. If no people are around to hear it, the falling tree still generates very real sound waves, ie; sound / plus animals will hear it
well sure if the result of the tree falling makes a noise but nobodies around, nonetheless it still made a noise
Of course it makes a sound. If it didnt make a sound then everything in life as you know it would be false.... Think about it. If it made a sound if you were there then it has to make a sound when your not there as well. If it didnt, then everything in life as you know it would be false.
A guy enters his 2 seat airplane. He carries a tape recorder that slips from his grasp, the strap lodges in the door, leaving the recorder hanging outside. He takes off and over a forest, the strap breaks and the recorder falls into a tree starting. The tree falls. Would the sound be recorded? Yes!
ok think of it this way if a man or a woman is in the woods getting attacked or whatever and they are screaming and no one is around to hear them did they really scream..... i mean come on its common sence! so yes the tree would still make a sound.
Of course it makes a sound. Basic physics tells us this. A sound is produced when two or more objects (even air) come into contact with each other at a high velocity. The fact that no one is there to hear the sound does not negate the fact that the sound has occurred.
The question is simple: does the falling tree make a sound even though it is not heard. The question is whether sound is MADE, not HEARD. Just because a mute person cannot hear (or perceive the movement of air) does not mean that sound is not created. Sound does not require being heard to be sound.
Even if everything were dead and all that was left were that one tree and it fell, it would still create a vibration that would carry through the air at a certain frequency. So yes there would be a sound. Even though an organ isn't being stimulated doesn't mean the sound isn't in the air.
Yes there is a sound. The fact of the circumstance is that a tree has fallen. The question is, does it make a sound. A tree is going to make a sound when falling, given the scenario. The absence of something does not mean it doesn't exist or didn't happen.
I half agree with Autumn: The half I disagree with is that there is still sound. Just because it doesn't reach YOUR ear, does not mean sound wasn't created.
Ok,,,, I didn't read through all the other opinions, so pardon if my comment is repetitive to what has been said so far. I disagree with this being the resolution to this ?. Sound is a wave, it's made regardless of someone being there. Hearing is the eardrum accepting sound. Catch 22 ? Great Theory
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Other Answers (7)
- Depends on what you think sound is.
If sound is the air vibration, then the answer is yes.
If sound is only sound if it affects someone´s nervous system, then the answer is no. - Well since "sound" was around before the evolution of our ears then yes, yes it does....However "sound" in this case could be something totally different to our sensory experience of it...so yeah its complex but id go for yes...due to the evolution of our ears to process the dangers that come with loud noises...if you wanna go all post modern then you could say that "sound" cant be observed from an extrasensory angle therefore cannot exist independant of the listener and so on...but yeah...it makes a sound..
- yes, sound is a main component of this world.
-
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Yes. It emits a little "bark". - I think "complexity" is exactly what they were going for when they created the question. It's a paradox in a way. Technically it still makes a sound but can a sound really exist if it isn't heard?. It is a rhetorical question in every sense of the word.
- Depends how "clever" you want to be about it.
If you ignore for a moment all the animals that may live in said forest, and ignore the fact that trees themselves are living entities then the question is not does the tree falling make a sound but does the tree exist in the first place.
This kind of thinking though is why Einstein thought quantum physics was bunkum. - Of course it makes a sound, there is just nothing to recognize the fact of what just happened.
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