Please explain your answer.
10 points for most logical answer, or most amusing answer.
Answer
"Sound" for lack of a better definition is simply waves of pressure traveling through air, much like ripples in the surface of a lake after you drop a rock in. These pressure waves cause your eardrum to vibrate. This vibration is interpreted by your brain as SOUND. IF and only IF you were THERE, you would sense those pressure waves created in the atmosphere from the falling tree and your brain says, THAT is SOUND. For you to HEAR sound, you have to BE in the presence of those waves of pressure. Since you were not there, the pressure waves were created, but since you were not there to experience them, YOU heard no sound, but any forest creatures with ears much like yours DID hear the sound created by the falling tree. This is as lame as the senseless one hand clapping thing. A clap is defined as two objects hitting each other to make the sound, so one hand can't clap unless it slaps a solid surface which fits the definition. The definition does not define the objects as being the SAME, just that two objects collide in a similar manner as your two hands, flat surface to flat surface. It is the collision of the flat surfaces which creates the "clap" sound you hear if you were there to sense the pressure waves in the air. These senseless zen mind games make me TIRED...
Answer2
By forest, do you mean standard forest or rainforest, or could it even be a small woods, what about a playing field with nobody around and the tree being a small tree in the middle of the field ?
It also depends how fast the tree falls, what it falls on etc., it could fall on a dense bed of moss or grass and it may be very very windy so even if you were there you would not hear it.
If nobody is around to hear it, by that I mean no squirrels, badgers, dogs, people, rats, birds, tape recorders, deer, porcupines, black bears, brown bears, beavers, lions, tigers, mice, monkeys, gorilla's, orangutans, cats, wolves, antelope, cougers, jaguars, crocs possibly wandering through a rainforest etc., then maybe not
My head hurts
Answer3
"Sound" is only recognized by the brain of the creature who experienced it. The tree falling does however create the waves that propagate though that atmosphere that living creatures and measuring instruments would otherwise be able to sense if they were present. The same concept applies to the sky being blue if you are not looking at it. What we perceive as colour is our brains interpreting a given wavelength of light in a certain way that *most* people are able to recognise and say "that's blue".
Answer4
Well if a tree falls but no one is around to hear,
than it cannot make a sound for US to hear, but it must make a sound nonetheless.
Then you have the question of "but how do you know if it makes a sound or not when no one is around to hear?"
You want to know whetehr or not it can make a sound? Place a hidden camera near trees, and then when it does fall, you will see, or should I say, you will hear?
Answer5
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, how are we certain that the tree did indeed fell? How do we know it did not cheat and stood standing, or even worse quietly lay down. Trees are sneaky you know, always looking to confuse and cheat. Don't trust trees.
You know I don't really know if it would make a sound (it will probably make a lot of noise) but it will definitely make a lot of mess!
Answer6
Yes, for when something makes a sound, it vibrates. So, the tree would fall down to the ground and send vibrations through the air and the earth. Even if nobody hears it, it still makes a sound.
Answer7
If a tree falls right next to you, it would make a sound and you would hear it, however, if it falls and you are not there to hear it, it still makes a sound. my answer is yes.
Answer8
the question could symbolise that the forest is life and the tree is a minor breakdown. No one hears it because you always need to move on with life and you need to get over things.
Answer9
so if this tree fell and no one was around to hear it, they couldn't see it, so how do we know it fell and wasn't transported to that very spot from some sideways alternate universe?
Answer10
Not if it falls on your fat mom!
Answer11
yeah of course, just because no ones around to hear it doesnt mean it doesnt make a noise... why would a tree decide not to make a noise just because no ones around?
Answer12
If many trees fall in the same time will not they create?
Answer13
IF NOONE ELSE IS AROUND ALL THE OTHER TREES WOULD BE IN "KNOTS" LAUGHIN AT HIM
Answer14
If your spouse gets screwed and you don't know about it did it still happen?
short answer yes.
Answer15
just put your self at the place where no one can do the same thing at the same time...
Answer16
was there a Camera with sound recording on near it?
Answer17
Yes and it screams all the way down until it hits with a "WHUUUMMMPPHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Answer18
yes, its just not heard
Answer19
depends on if it felt any pain.. lol
Answer20
place a tape recorder in the woods ... we'll see/hear (or not)
