If a tree falls in the woods and nobody is around, does it make a sound?

Question

My thoughts are it makes sound waves regardless of whether or not anybody is around. Much like radio waves. if there is no radio to receive the signal the waves still exist and are transmitted through the air. But what we know as sound is not merely the sound waves traveling through the air, but rather our brains interpertation of those sound waves.

So in my opinion if a tree falls in the woods it makes sound waves, but no sound. Sound cannot exist without a brain to receive the waves.

Answer 1

If the tree fell on you and you were screaming but no one was there to hear you; does that mean you were not making a sound.

Answer 2

It still makes the sound. A tree and/or sound waves cannot determine if a human is present to hear it. The birds and other animals can hear it. The sound waves a tree makes when it falls are much different than radio waves. You don't need a special machine to hear the sound waves of a tree falling.

Answer 3

If no one is around to hear the tree fall why would we think it fell in the first place. When we see a tree that is down why assume it fell, I would think that it became tired of standing and just laid down to rest.
If it made a sound at all it was probably just a sigh of relief. This sounds as good a reason as any.
If any waves were generated at all they were wave revues

Answer 4

I agree. Yes the tree dose make a sound but then no it dosen't. It makes a sound by sound waves but if there is no brain to hear it (human or animal) then it dose not make a sound. Plus isn't this a question for the science section?

Answer 5

It does make sound waves, but the definition of sound is sound waves perceived by a person and actually HEARD.
It will make the sound waves, but because nobody is around to receive the waves, the "sound" is not "heard".

Answer 6

Um... think about it... there are other animals in the forest... they can hear it... anything can make a sound, it's just that no one is there to hear it. What's so complicated about that? Let's say the phone rang, and you weren't at home, so you didn't pick it up.... it's the same concept, but you're not getting it!!! There are sounds, but just because no one is there to hear it, doesn't mean that the sound doesn't exist.

Answer 7

I disagree. If a tree falls it does make a sound, it's just that no one is around to "hear" it or to interpret those sound waves.

To say that there is no sound bc no "human" is around to hear it is really a form of human arrogance--for example, do such events mean that the deer are deaf? The ants, the birds, the snakes?

Further, even if no forest animals are around to "hear" and no humans are around to hear, then, yes, the tree makes a sound. Things don't stop existing bc we can't/don't control them and/or are not in the event's presence to interpret them.

Things happen--with or without us; with or witout our spin on it. We're just not the be-all or end-all.

Answer 8

Your opinion is correct. But from my standpoint, there has to be something there to receive those sound waves. So, It will make a sound but it will not always be heard by intelligent life.

Answer 9

According to physics, yes it makes a sound. It creates sound waves whether we are there or not. Besides, there are still animals in the woods that can here it.

Answer 10

We discovered an answer in maths
Ther must be animals in a forest
Animals have brains
Animals' brains can pick up sound wave
It does infact make a sound.