Trick question?

Question

Most people think they know the answer to this but go ahead and try.

If a tree falls down in a forest, and there are no people or animals around to hear it, does it still make a sound?

I have already chosen the answer that I am going to pick for the best answer because they were the first to get it right without all the extra attitude, and thinking that they know it all.

Answer 1

I have come up with the answer no. You probably don't agree with me or think that I'ms tupid, but according to the definition of sound

That which is heard; auditory effect

Which means that in order for something to make a sound, there must be something to hear it, since sound is that which is heard. If no one can hear it, it doesn't have sound.

Answer 2

Depends as to what brough the tree down. Matter makes sound when it moves and because there is no life forms about, the trees about it hear the pain of a dying tree and so yes, it makes a sound. But as you stated a tree falling down in a forest, I take it that the poor tree fell to the ground. A norweigian philosiphere once said something about this, if it is there when I look at it, is it still there when I turn away from looking at it. These thoughts are put into minds to slow the advancment ofbrain progression into the future. Over coming these obsticles and advancing with thought energy. Limiting yourself with trick questions is fun but move further forwards and prove that the object is still there. Hope I've helped you Teema

Answer 3

Vibrations in a medium that reach and vibrate our eardrum, which in turn moves the nerve-hairs in our inner ear stimulating a neural response is sound. Thus, without anything there to hear something, it doesn't make a 'noise', it just vibrates the air. So no, it doesn't.

However, this is a typical zen style question and shouldn't be thought about, because to do so defeats the purpose of it, similar to the 'sound of one hand clapping' question. For example, scientists talk about 'noises' outside our audio range, whether to high or low pitched. So if it is possible to define things that can't be heard in that sense as sound, and in fact sound is just the oscillation of particles through a medium, then it would make a sound. Hence the zen style of the question, you could think about it in circles and get no where.

Answer 4

I'v heard of people "hearing" colors, etc. experiments with plants have demonstrated an 'awareness' -- or, at least a responsive system.....

Even though a tree might not "hear" another tree falling, it might still sense what 'we' call "sound". So the idea that there has to be a 'hearer' for sound to exist doesn't follow.

hmmmm......

if nobody is around, how do we know that a tree really fell?

hmmmm.....

what kind of tree is it, and what kind of forest; and how is this related to that; and what kind of part is it of what kind of whole; and that there is no one who hinders tree from always sounding and doing the things which are according to the nature of which thou tree is a part.
-- Marcus O'Treelius

hmmmm....

if a bear..... no.

hmmmmm......

which question? is the trick question the "trick question?" or the question about the tree?

hmmmm........
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if a man trying to think about a question falls off his chair and noone is around to know it..........

urrrrrrrrrrr...........

Maybe its an uprooted sapling that just quietly falls over. Or a big bad tough tree that indures his pain in silence? No?

hmmmmm..........

Is it an australian tree -- did it fall up?

Come on, you're not telling us everything are you?

..........................................................................

Oh sure, you go off deciding the winner while I'm off trying to solve the problem. I even hurt myself in the process. Way to go Polo.

..............Um, oh well.

Answer 5

Firstly , the falling tree does not make any noisce at all. It simply falls. ( I can understand if a person is falling down , like the tree. He/she will make a terrible piercing cry(noise)

Secondly, if the tree falls down everso slowly this will not create any noise during its fall.

Thirdly, AFTER it has fallen down there is no noise at all.

People or animals around , it does not matter. Possibly it is the people , who will make noise clamouring after the falling tree.

Answer 6

The tree never fell because no one saw or experienced it falling..... the question of making any sound arises later.

Answer 7

No, it doesn't make a sound, because there isn't anyone/thing around to hear it.

Answer 8

Yes it does. You can use recording devices to prove it.

Answer 9

Stereotyping.


YES, but not in my reality.//

Answer 10

yesb it does