Debate: Sound of a falling tree in a forest

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If a tree falls in a forest when nobody is there does it make a sound?

Background and context

It is a very old myth, whether a falling tree in the forest would make a sound if nobody was there to hear it. Nobody really knows.

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Argument #1

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Yes

• Even if there are no humans around, we know that animals can hear. Even just a bug or a monkey or something would probably hear it, so yes, it does make a sound and it is heard.

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No

• It may make a noise but someone would have to hear it to be considered a sound.

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Argument #2

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Yes

• It would still make a sound, just that nobody would hear it. That doesn't make it any more or less of a sound.

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No

• If nobody heard it, then it can't have made a sound.
• If nobody heard it, it can't be proven that a tree fell over or made a sound.

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Argument #3

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Yes

• A falling tree might not be heard, and therefore make a sound, but it might make a vibration in the ground and if it was a large tree, it might cause a tremor. The tremor would be heard from further away than from the distance you'd heard the tree falling.

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No

• If the falling tree caused a tremor, and the tremor was heard, still, nobody would hear the actual falling of the tree, only the tremor.

External links

Yahoo Q & A for this question:[1]