I always thought that was the silliest of questions. Even if there were no ears in the forest, sound waves have physical properties that are present whether heard or not. Silly, silly.
2 points: animals, birds are some bodies. Sound waves are just vibrations--if there is no eardrum for them to connect with, are they sound? Now, to those angels dancing on the head of a pin. and....bad, mad priest, bad.
I always thought that was the silliest of questions. Even if there were no ears in the forest, sound waves have physical properties that are present whether heard or not. Silly, silly.
ReplyDelete2 points:
ReplyDeleteanimals, birds are some bodies.
Sound waves are just vibrations--if there is no eardrum for them to connect with, are they sound?
Now, to those angels dancing on the head of a pin.
and....bad, mad priest, bad.
I, of course, agree with both MadPriest and KJ!
ReplyDeleteHa! Word verification = essesses
An excess of s's.
Non-scientists: This is meant to be more of a statement about animals than noise.
ReplyDeleteScientists: Yes, that's right, sound waves are vibrations.
My favorite variation on this is,
ReplyDelete"If a many speaks in the forest and there is no woman to hear him is he still wrong?"
Married or formerly married women never see how there can be a question....
FWIW
jimB
at last, an understanding man.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a question: it's a koan.
ReplyDeleteIt isn't meant to be answered.
It is meant to be silly.
The only thing sillier is trying to answer it, but then, that's the point - humans are silly and will constantly try to answer.