If A Tree Falls Does It Make A Sound?

coolade123 · 05-6-2007, 10:02 AM

No this is not a joke. I have been in some arguments with people about this question. If a tree falls does it make a sound? I, personally, believe there is no true answer to this. It depends on what you think sound is. If you think sound is sound waves traveling through the air than it does make a sound. If you think something has to intercept the sound waves than it wouldn't make a sound because nothing is there to intercept the sound the tree would make.

Discuss.

Edit: I meant to say when nobody is around sorry lol.

seththelezzy · 05-6-2007, 10:04 AM

It does make a sound, regardless.

**Cyanite** · 05-6-2007, 10:10 AM

Yeah, you basically summed it up in the original post.

Sound is purely a human perception of sound waves. It will still produce the sound waves to cause a perception of the sound of a tree falling and crashing, there will just be nobody around to hear them.

However, since the sound waves are being produced regardless, I don't really know what side to take.

madmatt621 · 05-6-2007, 10:13 AM

Here's your answer. YES, it does make a sound.

Read on: http://www.getodd.com/stuf/treefall.html

Engler · 05-6-2007, 10:16 AM

Yes, it will make a sound.

ffrrocksya · 05-6-2007, 10:24 AM

I believe most people would be thinking if it actually make a sound- like you would hear something. Knowing that most people would be wondering that way, yes it would make a sound. Not all people would be asking it that way though.

Overall, what people are expecting from it, they would here a sound.

Relambrien · 05-6-2007, 10:27 AM

No, it will not make a sound. Sound requires three things:

1) A transmitter (something to create the vibrations/waves)
2) A medium (something for the waves to travel through)
3) A receiver (something to interpret the waves)

Until the vibrations are received and interpreted as sound, whether by an ear or a tape recorder, they are not sound. They are merely waves. Thus, if no one (and I include animals, tape recorders, anything that could interpret sound waves) is around to interpret the waves, the waves do not become sound.

There are still waves, but they are not sound until they are interpreted.

And no, I did not make this up. This was the response of a graduate of the United States Naval Academy specializing in oceanic physics, which sound plays a large part of.

sammo123 · 05-6-2007, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyanite

Yeah, you basically summed it up in the original post.

Sound is purely a human perception of sound waves. It will still produce the sound waves to cause a perception of the sound of a tree falling and crashing, there will just be nobody around to hear them.

However, since the sound waves are being produced regardless, I don't really know what side to take.

i take the side of no it doesnt make sound it just releases sound waves when it falls cause by vibrations, if no one is around to get the sound waves converted into sound then it wouldnt make a sound

**Adamaja456** · 05-6-2007, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Relambrien

No, it will not make a sound. Sound requires three things:

1) A transmitter (something to create the vibrations/waves)
2) A medium (something for the waves to travel through)
3) A receiver (something to interpret the waves)

Until the vibrations are received and interpreted as sound, whether by an ear or a tape recorder, they are not sound. They are merely waves. Thus, if no one (and I include animals, tape recorders, anything that could interpret sound waves) is around to interpret the waves, the waves do not become sound.

There are still waves, but they are not sound until they are interpreted.

And no, I did not make this up. This was the response of a graduate of the United States Naval Academy specializing in oceanic physics, which sound plays a large part of.

come on, Trees usually fall in forests right?
It seems like you saying that there will be no animals to hear it. there will ALWAYS be an animal somewhere in the general place a tree falls down. if we as people dont hear it, im sure other animals can, so yes, trees do make a sound

Relambrien · 05-6-2007, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adamaja456

come on, Trees usually fall in forests right?
It seems like you saying that there will be no animals to hear it. there will ALWAYS be an animal somewhere in the general place a tree falls down. if we as people dont hear it, im sure other animals can, so yes, trees do make a sound

You're forgetting the fact that the entire question is hypothetical. "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" Obviously there will ALWAYS be someone or something around to hear it. This question is completely hypothetical and will never happen, therefore a hypothetical response that will never happen is acceptable.

tsugomaru · 05-6-2007, 10:41 AM

Oh come on, this can't possibly count as critical thinking. Also, there is nothing hypothetical about it.

My answer is yes, sound is a wave and when the tree hits the ground, a wave will be made. Sound is human perception? Are we to say that colors do not exist on some far away planet because they are all human perception and no one's there to see them? Light, like sound is a wave and will exist whether or not we're there to experience it.

~Tsugomaru

seththelezzy · 05-6-2007, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Relambrien

No, it will not make a sound. Sound requires three things:

1) A transmitter (something to create the vibrations/waves)
2) A medium (something for the waves to travel through)
3) A receiver (something to interpret the waves)

Until the vibrations are received and interpreted as sound, whether by an ear or a tape recorder, they are not sound. They are merely waves. Thus, if no one (and I include animals, tape recorders, anything that could interpret sound waves) is around to interpret the waves, the waves do not become sound.

There are still waves, but they are not sound until they are interpreted.

And no, I did not make this up. This was the response of a graduate of the United States Naval Academy specializing in oceanic physics, which sound plays a large part of.

It will produce SOUND waves. Sound waves are sound, so yes it does. It doesn't matter if there's nothing to interpret it. It's still sound.

Relambrien · 05-6-2007, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seththelezzy

It will produce SOUND waves. Sound waves are sound, so yes it does. It doesn't matter if there's nothing to interpret it. It's still sound.

Wrong. It will produce waves on a frequency that can be interpreted as sound. These are not sound until interpreted.

But I agree with this:

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsugomaru

Oh come on, this can't possibly count as critical thinking.

I think we all agree that waves are produced, and the difficulty is in determining whether or not the waves are sound until interpreted. But hey, there's absolutely no way to test if they're sound before interpretation, because in doing so, we would be forced to interpret them.

As far as I'm concerned, this debate could go on forever and we'd never know exactly what happens. But I'm sticking by the answer of the oceanic physics specialist, because he's, you know, an oceanic physics specialist -.-

concertm · 05-6-2007, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madmatt621

Here's your answer. YES, it does make a sound.

Read on: http://www.getodd.com/stuf/treefall.html

Everyone's pretty much saying the same thing...
Anyways, trees are getting stressed out because of us...

bluguerrilla · 05-6-2007, 10:49 AM

Nah, if no one is there to hear it then no one can even prove it existed. All we have is our intuition that "this tree was standing and now it's on the ground, it was probably loud when it fell" but that doesn't prove anything.

If nothing is there to measure it, it might as well not exist. Animals don't count unless that can tell you (once you get there) that the tree made a noise that scared it or whatever.

Personally, I think that it doesn't depend on your definition of sound.

Edit: Any site with "Ultraviolet Gasses" is automatically crap.

Edit: A better site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_a_tr...ls_in_a_forest

solopro · 05-6-2007, 10:56 AM

Yes, it does make a sound.

When the tree is chopped down (or burnt down by lightning or whatever), it falls to Earth, then, on impact, there is a vibration, thus causing sound.

Like a bomb goes off about two or three miles away from you. You hear the bomb, if nobody is there to hear it.

OrganisM · 05-6-2007, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by concertm

Everyone's pretty much saying the same thing...
Anyways, trees are getting stressed out because of us...

You do realize that that Get Odd site is a satire and parody site, right?

Verruckter · 05-6-2007, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madmatt621

Here's your answer. YES, it does make a sound.

Read on: http://www.getodd.com/stuf/treefall.html

This article is bull****. There is no such thing as "UV Gas".

bluguerrilla · 05-6-2007, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrganisM

You do realize that that Get Odd site is a satire and parody site, right?

Lol, I didn't even realize. Wish I had though, it's hilarious.

OrganisM · 05-6-2007, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Verruckter

This article is bull****. There is no such thing as "UV Gas".

...fail. Remember, this is a SATIRE website.

05-6-2007, 10:04 AM	#2
seththelezzy FFR Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Age: 31 Posts: 437	Re: If A Tree Falls Does It Make A Sound? It does make a sound, regardless. __________________ I support using the Edit Button. You should too.

05-6-2007, 10:13 AM	#4
madmatt621 Banned Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 29°34′7″N, 95°1′21″W Age: 35 Posts: 3,000	Re: If A Tree Falls Does It Make A Sound? Here's your answer. YES, it does make a sound. Read on: http://www.getodd.com/stuf/treefall.html

05-6-2007, 10:16 AM	#5
Engler FFR Player Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: CNY Age: 31 Posts: 2,339	Re: If A Tree Falls Does It Make A Sound? Yes, it will make a sound. __________________

05-6-2007, 10:27 AM	#7
Relambrien FFR Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Age: 32 Posts: 1,644	Re: If A Tree Falls Does It Make A Sound? No, it will not make a sound. Sound requires three things: 1) A transmitter (something to create the vibrations/waves) 2) A medium (something for the waves to travel through) 3) A receiver (something to interpret the waves) Until the vibrations are received and interpreted as sound, whether by an ear or a tape recorder, they are not sound. They are merely waves. Thus, if no one (and I include animals, tape recorders, anything that could interpret sound waves) is around to interpret the waves, the waves do not become sound. There are still waves, but they are not sound until they are interpreted. And no, I did not make this up. This was the response of a graduate of the United States Naval Academy specializing in oceanic physics, which sound plays a large part of.

05-6-2007, 10:49 AM	#15
bluguerrilla FFR Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Age: 41 Posts: 3,966	Re: If A Tree Falls Does It Make A Sound? Nah, if no one is there to hear it then no one can even prove it existed. All we have is our intuition that "this tree was standing and now it's on the ground, it was probably loud when it fell" but that doesn't prove anything. If nothing is there to measure it, it might as well not exist. Animals don't count unless that can tell you (once you get there) that the tree made a noise that scared it or whatever. Personally, I think that it doesn't depend on your definition of sound. Edit: Any site with "Ultraviolet Gasses" is automatically crap. Edit: A better site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_a_tr...ls_in_a_forest __________________ Last edited by bluguerrilla; 05-6-2007 at 10:59 AM.. Reason: UV what?! + A better site

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