2006-10-23 01:19:11 · 20 answers · asked by Matthew R 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
there are two possible answers to this question, a short one and a long one. both are perfectly correct and relevant.
the long one goes like this:
of course it makes a sound. because that is what falling trees do, among other things: they make a noise. the fact that no one is there to witness it is completely inconsequential to the tree. besides, this isnt proper pholosophical question. it derives from quantum theory, which states at some point that the state of any quantum is not defined at any given moment, but is best represented by a probabilty.
this lead to some confusion when people began to translate this to macroscopic structures, like trees... after all, they do ultimately consist of quantum particles, dont they? yes they do, but that does not mean that that quantum theory, which is clearly defined to be valid for single quantums only, has any bearing on them. anyway... the whole discussion led to a point where some otherwise clever men made up a scenario in which nothing has really happened, unless something else is affected by it, culminating in the question we are discussing right now.
which only goes to show what kind of bovine manure sane people can come up with if they are only desperately enough stuck on a dead end idea.
oh, yes... the short answer:
if really no one and no thing was there to hear the sound, the question is completely moot.
so who cares?
2006-10-23 02:09:50 · answer #1 · answered by wolschou 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely. I hate this question. It presupposes that mankind is all that matters in the world. Other creatures have ears, and I'm sure that any forest creatures that find themselves under the falling tree are VERY aware that the tree has fallen.
2006-10-23 08:28:01 · answer #2 · answered by MickyD 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Of course! If you spend your life totally in thought, without really living, do you not die? All things have a beginning and an end with certain predetermined, undeniable outcomes.
2006-10-23 11:31:27 · answer #3 · answered by Ibeeware 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The bear, squatting in the woods hears it.
2006-10-23 08:53:28 · answer #4 · answered by Charlie Kicksass 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That seemed to be such a cutting edge question when I was in school over 50 years ago.
2006-10-23 08:48:59 · answer #5 · answered by ElOsoBravo 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sound waves leave and impression on every thing in the environment. a human is not the only thing that hears. All of Gods creation "hears" or "feels" .
2006-10-23 08:24:50 · answer #6 · answered by Weldon 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Each time a tree falls,hundreds of homes of ants, birds, rodents,reptiles etc..are destroyed and they wail. You can hear if you can adjust to the frequency of their sounds.
2006-10-23 08:30:15 · answer #7 · answered by friend4ever 1 · 2⤊ 1⤋
According to the real time analyzer I had recording nearby, yes... it does. Nearly 105 decibels of sound to be precise.
2006-10-23 08:27:39 · answer #8 · answered by Mr. Peachy® 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think it would make a noise anyways.. i mean the sound is only because of its impact with the ground so why wouldn't it make any noise?but still, there is a slight possibility that it wouldn't make any noise i mean.. who knows??
2006-10-23 11:12:58 · answer #9 · answered by hanna a 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course, sound waves exist everywhere, even when no one is present to hear them.
2006-10-23 08:33:40 · answer #10 · answered by Clauds 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋