Let's Try This Again...If a tree falls in the woods?

Question

and there is nobody there to hear it, does it still make a sound?

This is a follow-up to someone else's question. And I'm kind of getting tired of hearing it and wonder if it's not a waste of my time to even do this, but I can't help myself. And, I don't even know if this is allowed but here I go. I was surprised to hear that the answer was -- if there is not a receiver, there is no sound. Can someone please explain that to me. I can understand how that is true in electronics but outside of that -- I just don't get it. My theory is -- sound is sound-- it's there whether we hear it or not. Just as images are there whether we see them or not and sensations are there whether we feel them or not. Unless someone can convince me otherwise -- I'm sticking to my theory.

Give it your best shot!

Answer 1

I'm with you.

Answer 2

I think you're right. If a tree falls in a forest it makes a sound. Just because we dont hear it doesnt mean the sound doesnt happen. If there is a whale in the bottom of the ocean and it sings a song and no one is around to hear it, the song is still sung. In my opinion anyway.

Answer 3

I say yes it does because the people who say no, conclude that sound is vibration until it hits the ear but the word sound and the word vibration in the context they are using it are exactly the same, therefore sound is sound before it hits the ear, or vibration is vibration once it hits the ear.

Answer 4

OK here is your answer... The law of nature say yes even if the is no one around to hear it the crashing of that tree will still make the tree crashing noise....

Answer 5

Sound is in your brain. It is caused by vibrations in the air on your ear drums.

If a tree falls the vibrations are there in the air no matter what.

It is homocentric and egotistic to think that a human needs to hear it.

h**l, if a squirrel or a bird or a termite hears it the that's good enough for me.

Answer 6

Of course it makes a sound. Just because there are no humans there, it doesn't mean that it can't be heard by birds, bears, wolves, etc. And, if it's a forest, then by definition there are animals there, so it'd be heard one way or another.  

Answer 7

No, when a tree falls it creates a sound wave, that wave doesn't become a sound without an ear to interpret it.

Answer 8

It creates compression waves in the air.  These compression waves are perceived as "sound" only when they reach some person's or some animal's ear and vibrate the ear drum.  "Sound" is the vibration of the ear drum, not the compression wave in the air.  So, if no person or animal is there to hear it, no, it does not make a sound.

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Answer 9

How could anyone prove there ISN"T a sound? That's the better question!

Answer 10

No the issue is regarding sound being a human perception or not. If sound is merely something that humans/animals can hear then if a tree falls in a forest with no one around, no sound will be heard. However, if you believe that sound is a universal concept, unrelated to humans then it will make a sound. It depends on what you believe.

Answer 11

Try Philosophy.  This is not a mythological question, there is no magic or mythology involved in trees falling or sound happening.  This is a philosophical question, and it's one of those conundrums that no one can ever answer for sure, because if they are there to receive the sounds....then there is someone there to hear the noise....get it?  

It's one of those life mysteries.  

Answer 12

Well, yeah, It does make sound.

But I think that to a human who doesnt want to think about it it doesnt make sound. Sound to a human is being able to hear something. So when no one is around to hear it, they couldnt care less that it actually DID make sound but that no one was around to HEAR the sound, so people say, no it doesnt make sound.

Answer 13

T  i  m  b   e   r !!!!!!!!!!

Answer 14

The sound waves are always made, whether ant hears is not to be considered..