If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

@abrakadabra • Oct 26, 2024

Oct 26, 2024

1.1K

This debate topic is inspired from CEan-silverscorpion's signature.

Wikipedia says:

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" is a philosophical thought experiment that raises questions regarding observation and knowledge of reality.

I think we can have a really informative debate on this one.

Please pour in your thoughts on this thought everyone.

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PraveenKumar Purushothaman

@praveenkumar-66Ze92 • Dec 18, 2011

The sound will be there but not heard by anyone... 😀

Hey wait... I guess I didn't get the title well... 😔
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silverscorpion

@silverscorpion-iJKtdQ • Dec 19, 2011

^^ It's a philosophical question.

What is sound? Is it just the vibrations in the air or is it the sensation caused in our brain when those vibrations reach our ears?

We are not calling all types of vibrations in the air as sound. So, it follows sound must be associated with the sensation.

But then, if no one is in the vicinity, who will experience that sensation? In that sense, is it correct to say that sound exists in that situation?

Ponder!! 😀
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PraveenKumar Purushothaman

@praveenkumar-66Ze92 • Dec 19, 2011

Technically, logically, philosophically confused! 😕
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born_star16

@born-star16-U2z3az • Dec 20, 2011

Whether you are there or not, falling trees make sound. For example, if someone calls on my mobile it will ring not depending on my presence.

Oh! may be I am lost in the question.😕
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Reya

@reya-SMihdC • Dec 20, 2011

Vibrations that travel through the air or another medium can be recognized as sound when it is transmitted to our senses. The falling of tree produce vibration of the air.But when nobody is there in a lonely forest,how do you say that as sound?
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Ramani Aswath

@ramani-VR4O43 • Dec 20, 2011

This is what I call a semantic argument. There are too many words here liable to be interpreted differently by each.
What is sound?
What is meant by nobody? No living thing with ears or no humans?
What if a hundred totally deaf people were near?

If the physics definition of sound as a succession of compression rarefactions produced in a medium is taken as correct for this statement, then the falling tree does make a sound.
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Deepika Bansal

@deepika-jf1ysv • Dec 20, 2011

I think it would not be fine to restrict this thought to the words that are included in it-forest, tree and sound.

I guess, if we consider it in wider sense, forest means the environment, falling of a tree means happening of an event and sound here might refer to the observation of the event by someone. So this interpretation would mean that if something happens around and if there is no one to notice it, will that make any difference or effect.

This is just my interpretation of the statement.
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eternalthinker

@eternalthinker-Kvsi5Y • Dec 21, 2011

It depends on the way we look at it.

In a broader sense, it could mean the perception of an information.
If no one hears the tree fall, it doesn't contribute to anyone's experience, anyone's memory. The information simply vanishes.
A scientist figures out E=mc^2 equation 5 years before Einstein, but we never know, because he apparently didn't tell anyone!

When we come down to basic physics though, everything matters. The falling essentially alter energy levels around, despite how small. It contributes to the entropy of the universe.
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lovejeet

@lovejeet-etHdkD • Dec 21, 2011

in a philosophical way, a forest is a collection of almost similar trees, a thousands of them. so if any one of them falls, it won't make a big issue. but if the same tree falls in a barren land, it will be surely noticed. lets take in real world sense. there are thousands of engineers. if all are same, even if one falls, i mean goes out of the work, the absence won't be noticed, a new one will be suddenly replaced. but if you are a cut above others, u will be really noticed, like in a forest, if a tree falls, no one will be bothered, but if it happens in delhi, MCD of delhi will sure take care of the case. 😛
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PraveenKumar Purushothaman

@praveenkumar-66Ze92 • Dec 21, 2011

lovejeet
in a philosophical way, a forest is a collection of almost similar trees, a thousands of them. so if any one of them falls, it won't make a big issue. but if the same tree falls in a barren land, it will be surely noticed. lets take in real world sense. there are thousands of engineers. if all are same, even if one falls, i mean goes out of the work, the absence won't be noticed, a new one will be suddenly replaced. but if you are a cut above others, u will be really noticed, like in a forest, if a tree falls, no one will be bothered, but if it happens in delhi, MCD of delhi will sure take care of the case. 😛
Thankz, now I kinda understand a little! 😀
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Mr.Don

@mrdon-92OwlG • Dec 24, 2011

The statement itself relate to human existence in this earth. Once we were discovered in this earth, we're only twigs then We live, we earn and grows relationships (and no one around to hear it) but When we are getting older everything start to fade away from our life. No one will know when our soul grow old, ready to leave us, like a trembling tree in a dense forest. Ultimately, a body will be absorbed by this earth, unknown leaving 7,000,000,000+ of people. Ignored like a fallen tree in a dense forest.

The departure of one life will not sound among millions.
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