Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe that anyone in the thread has stated that a falling thread does not cause the vibration of air molecules if there is no one in the nearby.
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A tree falls in the woods question about SIRI...
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Correct. If it falls it vibrates air. But if no ones there's to obseves does it even fall. You walk in and see a "fallen" tree. You assume it fell because you have witnessed such an action but nothing says it fell. Nothing says it follows the rules of observation. And as in quantum physics we know an obseved wave becomes a particle.
AdrianK said:
Correct. If it falls it vibrates air. But if no ones there's to obseves does it even fall. You walk in and see a "fallen" tree. You assume it fell because you have witnessed such an action but nothing says it fell. Nothing says it follows the rules of observation. And as in quantum physics we know an obseved wave becomes a particle.
What? In order for a tree to even exist, it has to grow from the ground. So you don't need to assume it fell, you know it fell. I could understand the debate about it not making a sound, but even that can be debated infinitely. That's like saying a building you saw as a child stood for 200 years, but you go to revisit it as an adult only to see it crumbled to the ground, did it fall, yes, it fell.
Not sure why there's a four page debate on a question that quite clearly can't be answered.
If nobody is there to hear it, we don't know if it makes a sound. That is the only answer.
Some of the know it alls in this thread are really stupid...
If nobody is there to hear it, we don't know if it makes a sound. That is the only answer.
Some of the know it alls in this thread are really stupid...
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No. Its a vacuum. In space no one can hear you scream. Do I win a prize? LOL
dweezle3 said:Ok, different question then: If a tree in space crashes into something, does it make a sound?
No. Its a vacuum. In space no one can hear you scream. Do I win a prize? LOL
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http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/space-environment/1-is-there-sound-in-space.html
http://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/space-environment/1-is-there-sound-in-space.html
When a trees falls, it falls and there's nothing we can do about it.
The question is not whether it makes a sound... but whether is makes a noise... oohh
Not sure why there's a four page debate on a question that quite clearly can't be answered.
If nobody is there to hear it, we don't know if it makes a sound. That is the only answer.
Some of the know it alls in this thread are really stupid...
Actually, it's crystal clear and can be answered quite easily. And for the record, I am not a "know it all".
No...it can't.
If nobody is there to hear it we can't possibly comment on whether it makes a sound or not. We can merely speculate.
For all we know, we live in an intelligent universe that only produces sound when there is something capable of hearing it.
That doesn't take away the fact that it still makes a sound.
Just because you can't hear it doesn't mean it doesn't make a sound.
Can you hear the sound that the sun makes ?
This is insane. I can't believe people prefer to live in their narrow minded two dimensional world.
Fact is if it makes a sound post proof, if you can't then you are GUESSING. That's all there is too it.
The fact someone would try to answer this question (which isn't really a question to begin with) just goes to show you how ignorant people really are. Sometimes in debates on this forum I ask myself if the person I'm talking to has actually owned an android or done whatever. After reading this thread makes me think if people will post fact with no proof AND knowing there is no way to prove it they will say about anything.
Fact is if it makes a sound post proof, if you can't then you are GUESSING. That's all there is too it.
The fact someone would try to answer this question (which isn't really a question to begin with) just goes to show you how ignorant people really are. Sometimes in debates on this forum I ask myself if the person I'm talking to has actually owned an android or done whatever. After reading this thread makes me think if people will post fact with no proof AND knowing there is no way to prove it they will say about anything.
That you can only see the question in one light is not our fault.
This has been a philosophical debate for centuries, if not millennia.
But sometime in the 19th century it was posed as more of a scientific question regarding sound, and not philosophical (and certainly not at the quantum physics level). Scientific American was one of them. "...sound is vibration, transmitted to our senses through the mechanism of the ear, and recognized as sound only at our nerve centers. The falling of the tree or any other disturbance will produce vibration of the air. If there be no ears to hear, there will be no sound.
http://azweird.com/human_body/curious_facts_about_human_senses-767.html
If you want to see it only from the philosophical, excellent. Others don't. Sorry this has crushed you to the point of tarring this site. But I won't call you ignorant.
Michael
That you can only see the question in one light is not our fault.
This has been a philosophical debate for centuries, if not millennia.
But sometime in the 19th century it was posed as more of a scientific question regarding sound, and not philosophical (and certainly not at the quantum physics level). Scientific American was one of them. "“...sound is vibration, transmitted to our senses through the mechanism of the ear, and recognized as sound only at our nerve centers. The falling of the tree or any other disturbance will produce vibration of the air. If there be no ears to hear, there will be no sound.”
http://azweird.com/human_body/curious_facts_about_human_senses-767.html
If you want to see it only from the philosophical, excellent. Others don't. Sorry this has crushed you to the point of tarring this site. But I won't call you ignorant.
Michael
The original question was posed by a philosopher George Berkeley. Then reworded by an unknown source for the June 1883 magazine "the Chautauquan"
Then answered "No. Sound is the sensation excited in the ear when the air or other medium is set in motion." by scientist.
References
A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge, 1734. section 45.
The Chautauquan, June 1883, Volume 3, Issue 9, pg. 543
Pulled most the info from wiki but the sources are legit.
Besides, questions without a way to prove. Does that sound like science? Or philosophy?
Edit : I think I just said the same thing you did. Aren't we in agreement with each other? I'm saying it can't be proved by anyone not just philosophers.
If you are saying science says no just for the fact it's not perceived then thats fine but it's defeating the original question. I define it as if an all powerful being can do anything can he make a rock too heavy to move? If you find a loophole it's technically right but not what is being asked.
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This argument is getting old...The fact that you can't hear it exactly means it doesn't make a sound. Sound waves (in wave form) aren't anything but waves. When those waves vibrate against your eardrum it's the vibrations you are hearing. No receiver, no sound. period. It's really not a debateable subject.
And what the heck does the sun have to do with it. But the same rules apply. The sun emits a ton of sound waves. But unless we are close enough to listen, or have microphones out there to pick up the sound waves, it too is silent.
If I went into your ears and ripped out your ear drums, guess what? You wouldn't hear a damn thing.
Yes mostly I agree.
But what the topic has seemingly evolved into is this question: is sound made in the absence of anything to receive it? In that context we could have a visual observer but not an audible-capable one (a video camera without a mic, etc.). Some are arguing that the sound is still there. I say no--only the waves.
Michael
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No I wouldn't but that tree would still make a sound.
Example.
A deaf person and a person that can hear are standing in front of a tree that falls away from them.
Did that tree make a sound ?
No, but you could still feel it.
It's still a sound wave. A sound wave is nothing more than a pressure wave created in a medium (air, water or solid).
Too many people are confusing interpretation with physics.
The sound wave (a.k.a the "noise") exists regardless of the presence of a person.
Drop a recording device in the forest can come back a few days later.
If a tree fell nearby, the sound it created would be captured.
No one was physically there at the time of the recording but a sound wave is still generated.
No I wouldn't but that tree would still make a sound.
make sound waves not sound
i mean can you hear a dog whistle?