Falling tree paradox

PsilocybeLarvae · 26.10.2004, 19:58

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

Фиби · 26.10.2004, 20:03

why shouldn't it?

PsilocybeLarvae · 26.10.2004, 20:13

Sound is something you hear, right? And if there is nobody around to hear it, it means there is no sound

PsilocybeLarvae · 26.10.2004, 20:31

Sound: (noun)
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 human organs of hearing.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

Red Stone · 26.10.2004, 20:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Фиби

why shouldn't it?

Because... let me see... I mean, let me hear... I hear nothing... so... Fibi, were you there?... No?... Let's ask PsilocybeLarvae. She was there! Positive!

Otherwise how should she know that the tree fell?

PsilocybeLarvae · 26.10.2004, 20:34

Ok, I guess there will be vibrations (sound), which however will not be heeded unless there are ears and a brain to do so.

PsilocybeLarvae · 26.10.2004, 20:39

Red Stone, I don't.. know.. anything.. stop..confusing ..me

Red Stone · 26.10.2004, 20:43

And most important, PsilocybeLarvae knows there was nobody there!
For being so assertive, she should be there...

What the hell am I saying? If she was there, it means that no nobody was there...
Ok Ok I give up... too hard thinking after dinner...

Agregat · 26.10.2004, 20:44

Sound is a vibration. Thus if tree falls in a place where air is present - it makes a sound.
Hearing sound - is only a capability of an animal.

PsilocybeLarvae · 26.10.2004, 20:59

Agregat, got it! thanks for shedding light on the issue

uh, so there will be sound but it won't be heard, right Red Stone?

Red Stone · 26.10.2004, 21:58

Nope!

Egas Moniz, one of the first Nobel Prize of Medicine said:

Quote:

I don't believe the existance of the soul as I never found it on the tip of my bistoury

So... I believe the sound is produced if I hear it, and/or if someone testifies it. Otherwise...

By the way, was Agregat there? Is he cutting trees nowadays?

Mind the Greens, Agregat!

And you, PsilocybeLarvae, who said that the tree fell, stop hiding behind... the tree, and tell us what you heard... if you heard it...

Cheers!

Երեխա · 27.10.2004, 05:13

That's a language paradox Psi. All languages full of paradoxes.
Language is a system of words and it's proved that

"Any system T of words and predicates(think these are functions to work with that words) that we call language has at least one paradox, by paradox we mean something that is true and that's negation is true too in THAT system of words and predicates - T"

here is another paradox of language.(english, armenian, ...)

God is Almighty.
Can God create a stone that he(she) can't handle ?

Try to answer to this question and think ...

Obelix · 27.10.2004, 10:43

Well I don't really think it's a language paradox, at least not in this case.
frequencies in the approximate range of 20 to 20,000 hertz, capable of being detected by human organs of hearing
Now one of this definitions is excess. If the vibrations are capable of being heard, they are in the given frequency range, on the other hand if you have mechanical vibrations of 20 to 20000 hertz the average person can hear them (there are some issues concerning very high vibrations which a big group of people can't hear).

PsilocybeLarvae · 27.10.2004, 10:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by erexa

God is Almighty.
Can God create a stone that he(she) can't handle ?

Try to answer to this question and think ...

How about we agree there is no God and call it quits

PsilocybeLarvae · 27.10.2004, 11:02

Red Stone, should I believe your posts exist when I turn the PC off? Come to think about it ..I have never seen you