If a tree falls where there is nobody their to hear it, does it make a noise?

Answer 1

Soundwaves would still be produced even if no one or no animal is there to hear it. But the perceived noise that soundwaves make when they hit our ear drums and are processed by our brains wouldn't be because we wouldn't be there for that to happen.

Answer 2

Looking at it scientifically then yes there would be a sound. After all, sound is just air pressure waves. As a tree falls a positive pressure wave (or series) is created in front of the direction of fall and a negative pressure wave (or series) is created behind the fall, and numerous others in other directions as parts snap or creak. therefore sound must be created, audible to the human ear or not. This was originally a philosophical question whose answer must be that it cannot be heard if nobody is there to hear it. The philosopher Bertrand Russel stipulates that anything that is not experienced completely within oneself cannot exist, because the only thing that you can guarantee to exist is yourself. He gives examples of people sitting at at a table who cannot guarantee that they are all even at the same table, as their perspective of the table and the light that reflects off of it will be quite different for each individual. Even all of the people sitting around the table will look different to each other for the same reason, and therefore nobody can guarantee that anybody else is really around them at all. Obviously this is hair splitting stuff, but interesting nonetheless.
So, if you are a hair splitter then no sound will be made. If you are rational then yes a sound would be made. If you are a quantum physicist then nothing but waves exist anyway!

Answer 3

No. Sound is a perception. If there is no perceiver the is no perception. All that would exist would be sound waves. Check out George Barkley or Kant for more on this topic. Reality can be separated into phenomenon (perception) and neumenon (physical reality). The philosophical problem is we can only know the neunemal world through the phenomenal. Therefore we can not directly experience ultimate physical reality. For example, the world we perceive is not even something occurring in present time. Our eyes convert light into a neurological medium, process the information, send the information to the back of the brain for further processing before we have the experience. All this takes time (fractions of a second). Therefore, we can only experience the past and never the present.

Answer 4

According to the vocabulary noise is "loud sound" and sound is "vibrations that can be detected by the human ear".
Since from previous experiences (including recording of sounds not in a presence of human ear) we know that falling trees in atmosphere surrounding always produce such vibrations, we can conclude with absolute certainity that the falling tree would make noise.

Answer 5

One might say how can there be noise if there is no-one to hear it? On the other hand, our basic human knowledge tells us of course it would make a noise as our previous experiences of sound and causes of sound would suggest.

I prefer Gary Larson's take on the problem... if a tree falls in the forest and it lands on a mime, does anyone care?

Answer 6

Yes, because due to the movement of the tree the air was moved which is "mechanical radiant energy that is transmitted by longitudinal pressure waves in a material medium (as air)", thus proof that even if no one there, the sound exists never-the-less.

Answer 7

A sound dose not exist if there are no ear,s to hear. How ever if there are animals in the area that hear then they would surely hear it. But what would it be sound or maybe an in audible vibration only animals can hear ? And if it is not what a human would call a sound would it still be heard ? Maybe it would be like a ripple on water it,s there but you don't hear it. I would have to say ummmmmmmmm maybe.

Answer 8

yes the noise comes from the tree hitting the ground not from the m,an listening

Answer 9

Of course it does. How can it fall without making a noise?

Answer 10

Yes. Here is another question for you, If a tree falls in a forest and hits a mime and no one is around, does anyone care?