If a Tree Falls in a Forest and Nobody is Around to Hear it, Does it Really Make a Sound?

[CJ]

This question is actually pretty deep.

[CJ]

It all really depends on how you define sound. I personally don't think it does.

[Za-za]

Ooh, I'm gonna spice things up a bit and say yes. Yes, it does make a sound. Let me warn you, I am totally prepared for this argument...

[CJ]

No it doesn't! :P

[Za-za]

Lies! Lies, CJ! XD

[CJ]

It makes no sound! I cannot be swayed!

[mels]

It makes a sound!

[Za-za]

Okay, so the textbook definition of sound is: when vibrations travel through a medium (ex. air). Loudness is the human perception of sound. (Oh my goodness, I sound like such a geek... Oh wait, I am one.) Therefor, even if we can't hear it, that doesn't mean it didn't happen, unless, of course, the tree was somehow in space, which is impossible. Furthermore, an animal or another human being could have heard it or something. For example, we don't always see crime happen, but we know that it does because someone else told us.

[Za-za]

A lot of things no one sees still happen.

[mels]

Exactly! But it still happened.

[Za-za]

Yes, but it happened. The question isn't asking if we know that it happened... It's asking if sound was made, and scientifically speaking, sound was, indeed made.

[CJ]

But sound is only vibrations if nothing is there to hear it.

[Za-za]

There could have been a squirrel or something to hear it. XD

[Za-za]

((I literally LOLed at that! X'D))

But it still happened

[CJ]

Does a squirrel have a body, Za-za?

[Za-za]

CJ wrote: "Does a squirrel have a body, Za-za?"

Shush.

But... I guess it does... (?)

[CJ]

Dictionary definition of body:

"a person's or animal's whole physical self"

A squirrel has a body.

Nobody is around to hear it.

No squirrels.

[Za-za]

Haha, so no squirrels, but there was still sound.

[CJ]

There were vibrations, yes. But sound is the way we humans describe the vibrations when they come in contact with us.

[Za-za]

No, the vibrations occurred, so therefor, there was sound. Eventually, the vibrations reached us... we just didn't hear them (there are a lot of vibrations we don't hear).

[CJ]

Your point?

[Za-za]

Haha, this is so intense. Vibrations we can't hear are sound. We can't hear the vibration from the tree, but there was sound. It is classified as sound.

[CJ]

...What idiot classifies something with no sound as having sound???

[Za-za]

No, we classify sound as loudness, which is only our perception. Do you waves from your cell phone when you send a text? No.

[CJ]

Well, that tree had no loudness because there was no perception.

[Za-za]

True. But there was sound.

[CJ]

Nope.

[Za-za]

Yes. You cannot argue with Tom Hiddleston.

[CJ]

Za-za wrote: "
Yes. You cannot argue with Tom Hiddleston."

[Za-za]

[CJ]