Tree in the woods

[Faradaympp]

We've probalby all heard this question at one point or another, if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it does it make a sound? I originaly intended to post this in the science section, the reason? I recently tried to disprove this statement from a physics standpoint, however with a limited understanding my arguments had some flaws. So I want to know what you think, does a tree make a sound? How did you conclude this? Any other details would be helpful.

[notself]

If there is no ear to pick up the sound waves and no brain to process the sensations of the ear, then, there are sound waves but no sound.

[CassandraAnn]

If there is no ear to pick up the sound waves and no brain to process the sensations of the ear, then, there are sound waves but no sound.

Good answer! Never thought of it that way, but it makes sense.

[MariaEvri]

yes but since there ARE sound waves, then there IS a sound, no?

[kenh]

I would say yes, as sound waves can affect things such as move leaves, make waves or high frequencies can break glass, even if no one is around to observe.

Along the same line, when you are dead and can sense nothing, does the universe exist?  Did it ever exist?

[elliebean]

The correct answer to the question, "if a tree falls in the forrest and no one os there to hear it, does it make a sound?" is:

sound
1â€, â€,/saÊŠnd/ Show Spelled[sound] Show IPA
â€"noun
1.
the sensation produced by stimulation of the organs of hearing by vibrations transmitted through the air or other medium.

no...

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.

yes....

3.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause: the sound of music.

no...

4.
any auditory effect; any audible vibrational disturbance: all kinds of sounds.

yes...

5.
a noise, vocal utterance, musical tone, or the like: the sounds from the next room.

um...depends on the definition?

6.
a distinctive, characteristic, or recognizable musical style, as from a particular performer, orchestra, or type of arrangement: the big-band sound.

oh, definitely.....hehe

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.”

ehh, yeah, probably not...

8.
the auditory effect of sound waves as transmitted or recorded by a particular system of sound reproduction: the sound of a stereophonic recording.

yup...

9.
the quality of an event, letter, etc., as it affects a person: This report has a bad sound.

ah...usually not...

10.
the distance within which the noise of something may be heard.

wow, by definition, no less...

11.
mere noise, without meaning: all sound and fury.

hmmm....possibly?


and finally,

12.
Archaic. a report or rumor; news; tidings.

newp.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sound

[Whitney]

^or in other words, it's a simplistic childhood question that doesn't itself take into account that "sound" has more than one definition.

So, the correct answer is: it depends on what you mean by sound.

[Mediocrates]

If no one was around to hear the tree fall how would we know if a tree had fallen in the first place?.

Aside from the semantics, if on a ramble through the woods we find a fallen tree we can, taking all the available evidence into account, assume that the tree's falling would have probably made some sound.

This question seems to me to stem from a theistic mindset, one that requires a conciousness to at least observe a physical process for it to happen.

Obviously I can't be 100% certain that anything occurs without me being around to see it so back to square one.

[notself]

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

[Mediocrates]

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

I'm guessing a whoosh then the sound of someone trying to regain their balance?...

[G-Roll]

please tell me im not the only one who can clap with one hand. you just slap your finger tips on your palm... yes it counts.

i hate the tree in the woods question. its as retarded as why did the chicken cross the road.
if sound is sound waves to be picked up be ears, then why would no sound waves be produced just because YOU are not there.
i suppose this kind of logic is also what led us to believe the sun, and whole universe orbited us here on earth. like nothing happens... ever.... if YOU are not there. when YOU die the whole world dies with YOU. ego... damn the ego.

p.s. this was originally not going to be a rant, just a reply.

also this post is not directed at anyone.

G-Roll out...

[notself]

The sound of one hand clapping can be made by slapping one's thigh.  

[pinkocommie]

please tell me im not the only one who can clap with one hand. you just slap your finger tips on your palm... yes it counts.

i hate the tree in the woods question. its as retarded as why did the chicken cross the road.
if sound is sound waves to be picked up be ears, then why would no sound waves be produced just because YOU are not there.
i suppose this kind of logic is also what led us to believe the sun, and whole universe orbited us here on earth. like nothing happens... ever.... if YOU are not there. when YOU die the whole world dies with YOU. ego... damn the ego.

p.s. this was originally not going to be a rant, just a reply.

also this post is not directed at anyone.

G-Roll out...

See, I like the tree in the woods question because I feel like it's a great reminder to people that just because they aren't involved, that doesn't stop anything.  Trees still make sounds when they fall over whether humans are there to witness it or not, the sun still shines even if humans aren't basking in the sunlight, that kind of thing.  Humans have a habit of making everything human-centric and I see this particular question as a response to that.

[kelltrill]

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it does it make a sound?

surely if you just leave a microphone on near the tree you expect to fall, make sure there is absolutely no one around to hear the crash, then listen to the recording later that would answer your question.
On a purely common sense note: The sun has risen every morning for billions of years. If one morning every person in the world happened to sleep past sunrise and there was no one there to witness it, that doesn't mean it would suddenly defy the basic laws of physics and rise in the West, or not shed light, or not rise at all, or something equally trite.
However, if you want to do this research from a semantics perspective I would vote for taking the definition route ellibean so neatly laid out.

[Tanker]

I do sem to remeber this question before. Regardless I still think it's silly. Just because there is no witness does not mean something didn't occur.

Your house catches on fire but no one is around to see it did it still burn down. Yes. A lack of a witness does not change an events occurance. Unless the tree is falling in a vacume there will always be a sound.