CreateDebate


Debate Info

14
12
yes no
Debate Score:26
Arguments:18
Total Votes:29
More Stats

Argument Ratio

side graph
 
 yes (10)
 
 no (8)

Debate Creator

JosephM(16) pic



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

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

yes

Side Score: 14
VS.

no

Side Score: 12
2 points

yes because existence is not based off our perception......

Side: yes
casper3912(1581) Disputed
1 point

You would have a very hard time proving that one.

Its an unfalsifiable claim.

Side: No
1 point

Yeah... If this planet was uninhabited with zero receptor cells then perhaps the actions that occur are of zero value or just go unnoticed. But, unfortunately there is life here and there are numerous other animal ears to hear that.

Side: yes
1 point

If I placed a recording device nearby a tree that was (about) to fall, turned it on, then ran to a place where I couldn't hear the tree falling, came back after the tree fell, and replayed the recording, I would hear it.

Side: yes
casper3912(1581) Disputed
2 points

You would hear the recording not "it", or the tree falling.

Is a sound vibrations, or is it the interpretation of the perception of vibrations?

Side: No
1 point

If a tree falls in the forest with only a deaf man around, does it make a sound?

Of course. Can the deaf man hear it? Of course not, he's deaf, dumbass.

Side: yes
1 point

Although the vibrations might be heard by a ear, the thud is felt when it hits the earth and is still detected. We see & hear plenty of things that our own eyes & ears can't see or hear such as electorn microscopes.

Side: yes
TheThinker(1697) Disputed
0 points

The true answer in my opinion is neither. The answer is not yes or no. Sound is vibrations through the air as stated by google definitions. No one was around when the tree fell so no one can verify if there were vibrations or not.

downvote.

Side: No
0 points

I am going to bang my hand on the table....boom. I heard the sound but did you? Of course not, but i can verify that the sound was made. This proves that when you cannot hear a sound, does not mean a sound happen.

Stated by google definiions: a sound is a vibration that travels through the air. And that this vibration CAN be heard by humans. This means that these vibrations CAN or CANNOT be heard. Therefore, if the vibrations weren't heard by people does not mean that the vibrations occured.

Therefore, i ask you....did the vibrations occur? This is the true question because if no vibrations occured, then there is no sound. If vibrations did occur, then there is sound.

Ultimately, we cannot answer this question because no one can verify if the vibrations occured or not. This is my final answer.

Side: yes
3 points

If the Sounds (the hearing of vibrations) of the tree are not experienced through a living entity then no, because we preceptive vibrations as sound but if there are No listeners then its a stream of vibrations...not sound

Side: No
Capitalist(48) Disputed
1 point

I'm afraid that is not entirely correct, although it is vibration based, there are still 'sound waves' thus there is sound.

Side: yes
casper3912(1581) Disputed
2 points

Not according to his definition of sound.

The point of the question is to question weather one considers the perception of vibration as sound, or if the vibration itself is sound.

Side: No
1 point

I would think that we would be able to feel it but not hear it and if we do hear a sound then it could just be something else falling from the vibration of the tree.

Side: No
1 point

Since nobody was around, how do we know it fell instead of just lying down?

Side: No
1 point

No. It is involved with the transfer of energy between mediums but to say it makes sound, isn't entirely truthful. Regardless of whether anyone is there or not.

Now upvote this argument if you've never heard it in response to the tree falling in the forest brain teaser!

Side: No