[Phreak]

If a tree falls in a wood and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

If nobody is around, how do you know a tree has even fallen? Maybe a verticle tree vanished to an alternate dimension and the fallen tree is really an alien in disguise?

[redbull]

what if the tree hasn't actually fallen at all and really all the other trees are the ones that are truly the vertically fallen?

[Fresia]

I so needed this this morning, thank you, made my morning.
I'm just sorry that I'm too sleepy to see the trees through the forest.

[pachyderm]

Fallen trees? Are those like fallen people?

[redbull]

might be fallen aliens.......... they have difficulties too!!

Originally Posted by Phreak

If a tree falls in a wood and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

According to most definitions of sound, yes. "Sound" is merely "1a. Vibrations transmitted through an elastic solid or a liquid or gas, with frequencies in the approximate range of 20 to 20,000 hertz, capable of being detected by organs of hearing." (The American Heritage Dictionary) Even though no sentient being is around to witness the event, the tree hitting the ground does produce sound waves which are "capable of being detected by organs of hearing."

For a more philosophical answer... Reality is not dependent on the human experience of reality.

If nobody is around, how do you know a tree has even fallen?

If you never observe the fallen tree, you don't ever know that it has fallen. But, if you observe it after it has fallen, you can logically conclude, based on past observation of falling trees and the end result, that it had fallen at some point in time.

Maybe a verticle tree vanished to an alternate dimension and the fallen tree is really an alien in disguise?

Maybe. Or - Occam's Razor - maybe it just fell.

[Irine]

I personal believe it makes. Human beings can`t be 100% objective