A tree falls in the forest.....?

Question

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

Answer 1

YES

Answer 2

yes it does to the creatures around it.

Answer 3

Hey, that's like ( Does a bear sh*t in the woods? )

Answer 4

Sound is vibration transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas; particularly, sound means those vibrations composed of frequencies capable of being detected by ears. So that means that yes there is sound.

but that opens more questions like Can something exist without being perceived?

The most immediate philosophical topic that the riddle introduces involves the existence of the tree (and its sound) outside of human perception. If no one is around to see, hear, touch or smell the tree, how could its existence occur? What is it to say that it exists when such an existence avoids all knowing? George Berkeley in the 18th century developed subjective idealism, a metaphysical theory to respond to these questions, coined famously as "to be is to be perceived". Today metaphysicians are split. According to substance theory, a substance is distinct from its properties. According to bundle theory, an object is merely its sense data.

Or

Can we assume the unobserved world functions the same as the observed world?

A related question involves whether or not an unobserved event occurs predictably, like it occurs when it is observed. The anthropic principle suggests that the observer, just in its existence, may impose on the reality observed. However, most people, as well as scientists, assume that the observer doesn't change whether the tree-fall causes a sound or not, but this is a difficult claim to prove.

Or

What is the difference between what something is, and how it appears?

Perhaps the most important topic the riddle offers is the division between perception of an object and how an object really is. If the tree exists outside of perception (as common sense would dictate), then it will produce sound waves. However, these sound waves will not actually sound like anything. Sound as it is mechanically understood will occur, but sound as it is understood by sensation will not occur.

This riddle illustrates John Locke's famous distinction between primary and secondary qualities. This distinction outlines which qualities are actually in an object, and which qualities are not. That is, a red thing is not really red, a sweet thing is not really sweet, a sound does not actually sound like anything, but a round object is actually round.

I hope i answered ya question

Answer 5

Well, this is a typical existential question.

I guess only the tree would know, but, then again, are trees conscious?

I take solace in the fact that, even if the tree did make a noise when it fell and NO ONE was around to hear it, it would inevitably make a noise.

It's that futile noise that defines us all. We're all screaming for proof of our existence and all we receive are answers mute.

Answer 6

Answer to your question is this question.

Tell me if i am wrong?

Does it make a sound, when you get heartbroken?

I say it doesn't! It's only produce tears. But that does not mean it is not broken sweaty.

   So, all in all yes in theory it makes sound but no ones here it, in same manners with heartbreak.

Answer 7

of course, think of birds singing and a deaf person listening to it

Answer 8

Yes, yes it does.

Answer 9

If a bear defecates in the woods under the tree that just fell over with nobody listening, and there is still no one there to tread in it, is it still slippery?

Answer 10

This question seems really insulting to trees.

If a human falls in the city and a tree isn't around to hear it, does it make a sound?

Answer 11

it makes a sound because sound travels through air and if there is air it makes a sound