2007-03-23 13:39:05 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
If a tree grows and *everyone* is around to hear it, does it make a sound? No. No animal, man included, has hearing or other sensory perception that acute. Ergo, if no one is around to hear it grow, it still won't make a sound.
However, if you are understanding sound to be any acoustic vibration, no matter how faint, that some hypothethical, super-sensitive device can pick up (i.e., this thing can hear all sounds, including an ant fart), then maybe.
A tree probably grows at a rate of one nanometer per second (the same rate as human fingernails grow) or less, but in any case it does grow. And when you add/create plant cells, some movement must occur and inevitably disturb the acoustic environment. Every atom vibrates (with electrons whizzing around it), so in theory, it makes some sound if you had a device that could sense it.
But then, you're changing the common understanding of what it means to be a sound: something that can be sensed by human or animal ears.
2007-03-23 13:57:27 · answer #1 · answered by no_good_names_left_17 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. A low whining noise....Silly rabbit, trees don't make sounds, unless the wind twists them and then you hear the creaking of the wood. But other than that, nope, not a peep.
2007-03-23 21:07:45 · answer #2 · answered by teacupn 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, a tree grows slow enough to avoid any physical friction that could result in sound.
2007-03-23 20:57:03 · answer #3 · answered by Julian 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Of course. But it's a sound that no one would hear even if they were around to listen.
2007-03-23 20:50:18 · answer #4 · answered by Andrea 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I didn't know trees made a sound when they grow...
2007-03-23 20:47:15 · answer #5 · answered by yodadoe 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Okay... a theory says that movement causes noise. If that theory is true, then it does make sound, yet no one hears it. Either way, if the theory is true it does make sound.
2007-03-23 20:52:06 · answer #6 · answered by Mac 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it only makes sound when it sways back and forth from the wind maybe it does you may want to lay low and put your ear next to it maybe it will talk to you when it grows one one thousands of an inch
2007-03-23 20:54:33 · answer #7 · answered by Steven W 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would be hard to prove. But I think that if sensitive enough equipment were used,then you could probably detect a trace amount of vibration. So yeah........why not!
2007-03-23 21:31:26 · answer #8 · answered by Mr. Badwrench 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes they do some times they call the birds too..
2007-03-23 20:48:19 · answer #9 · answered by eviot44 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
yes when the wind blows it talks to the forest.
2007-03-23 20:46:16 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋