Tree falling

[BertiWooster]

I'll park this question here.

If a tree falls to the ground does it make a sound if there is no one about to hear it ?

[mibn2cweus]

Resolving questions of a philosophical nature one is often well served to look for a deeper more fundamental underlying question. To answer the question put to us we require a basic understanding of the distinct natures of both existence and consciousness. Even consciousness presupposes existence, in this case the existence of a means of perceiving that which must already exists prior to any possible means or process of perception. For the record, many philosophical propositions stand or fall on the basis of this crucially important distinction, the primacy of existence.


http://www.importance...ealityIsAbsolute.html

[rojash]

"Following the production of sound by its source, it exists, independent of a possible receiver within range of its perception."
But sources don't produce sound - they produce pressure waves (or vibrations). It's not sound until it's detected as such.
Think on this. If I use a transducer to produce low pressure waves at say 30Hz, you probably won't hear them. If I gave you a tuning fork tuned to 30Hz, you would probably feel the vibrations, but you wouldn't claim to hear them. If you then pressed the fork against your jaw bone, you might well hear them through the bone conducting the vibrations to your ear, at which point your ear would convert them to sounds.

[mibn2cweus]

But if the fork ain't vibratin' you won't hear a thing no matter where you stick it . . . except for perhaps a moan.

Sound is no more produced by the ear than is light produced by the eye.

In addition to frequency and amplitude, sound (and light) has a third characteristic that clearly demonstrates that is originates from without rather than from within. The direction in which it is propagated from the source which produces it. They call it > "surround sound" for a reason.

The human body does however come equipped with a sound producing transducer, the vocal chords. Any other sound produced by the human body is likely to be accompanied by a second unmistakable sensory phenomenon . . . stink. For your information, farts are not produced by the nose. Nor is light produced by the eye (except for perhaps a small amount of infrared radiation). Nor is sound produced by the act of perceiving it, through the ear (where sound is indeed converted . . . into electro-chemical impulses for processing by the brain).

Sound need not even be heard to be perceived. In sufficient quantity and at appropriate frequencies, (30hz come to mind for some odd reason), sound can be felt. To suggest that something does not exist until or only becomes what it is once it has been detected as such is simply not sound reasoning. But in all fairness, I hear what your saying. ;o)


http://www.google.com...d%3F%22&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

[wildwood]

Sound on land is, after all, a disturbance of air in waves. Therefore the falling tree must still make a 'sound', this can be proven by recording the sound waves with a microphone which employes the same bacis fundimentals as an ear.

[Jumbuck]

As I said right at the start: Define what you mean by a sound.

[Jumbuck]

p.s. that's directed at the OP not anyone else

[mibn2cweus]

I'm under the impression that a definition of what sound is is the intent of the OP's question. If that's the case they've certainly been given a variety to choose from. Not that I haven't wondered whether old tobie didn't lend a hand in the raising of this question in which case I can only reply with a hearty . . . Timberrr . . .