Falling Tree Paradox...

Serpent: "Timber!"


Philosopher:"Aaarrgghhh!" <Dies>


Tree: "??!"


If a tree falls and nobody hears it, does the tree make a noise? Tricky one! Please consider this twist:

A philosopher, strolling alone in a forest, hears a tree plunging noisily earthwards. Startled, he clutches his chest and dies before the falling tree had hit the ground. So...

• Question - did the falling tree stop making a noise the instant the unfortunate philosopher snuffed it?

If the falling tree ceased making noise when the the philosopher died, then the energy of the sound waves rippling through the air at the moment of his death would have been nullified.

This causes us a big headache! Energy cannot be created or destroyed. So our thought experiment leads to a paradox, -an indication that our assumptions are wrong. We must conclude that the tree continued to make noise after the philosopher died, even though there were no observers present. And if true for this falling tree, then why not for all falling trees?

Thought Experiment of Death: One day, in the distant(?) future, you, dear reader, will die!

• Question - When you die you will stop observing the Universe. When this happens, will all falling trees, all philosophers, everybody and everything - the whole Universe - stop making a noise for ever? Will everything stop existing?

If you were the unfortunate philosopher in the thought experiment above, then the falling tree will not only continue to exist, it will continue to make a noise too. As will the whole Universe. Only you will be silenced...

Do you think that a tree makes a noise when no one is there to hear it fall? Click on one of the buttons below

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Yes

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From:	Vic	Subject:	if a tree falls in a forest..	2000-11-14 16:36:23
From:	Sound Advice	Subject:	No sound.	2001-09-19 19:55:15
From:	sticks...	Subject:	Re: Sound...	2001-12-07 13:46:22
From:	Andy	Subject:	Trees	2002-01-18 12:06:24
From:	tianwalker	Subject:	surely not	2002-05-10 21:38:59
From:	Erica	Subject:	Mediums	2002-05-19 18:53:23
From:	paul	Subject:	consider this...	2002-06-05 20:51:01
From:	John Albanese	Subject:	The tree falling...	2002-08-23 01:36:51
From:	karie	Subject:	falling tree	2002-09-09 15:30:00
From:	nofx junkee	Subject:	it makes no sound fools!	2002-11-16 06:17:19
From:	Aaron	Subject:	Your all wrong fools!	2003-04-16 09:22:52
From:	Fiona	Subject:	falling tree	2003-06-01 09:33:06
From:	afterimage	Subject:	ok	2003-08-03 05:17:15
From:	Mike Digrazia	Subject:	definition of sound	2003-08-20 11:53:06
From:	Prof. Benjamin Krastins	Subject:	Sound and Trees	2003-09-09 05:33:36
From:	Neo	Subject:	falling tree	2003-09-10 06:19:22
From:	B. Krastins	Subject:	THE TREE HAS FALLEN	2003-09-10 06:25:46
From:	Neo	Subject:	The tree is falling....???	2003-09-10 06:36:59
From:	Stormy	Subject:	Oh, tree problems are easy...	2003-09-13 14:52:15
From:	Feanmucker	Subject:	Fundamental Problem	2003-09-26 16:19:39
From:	mr.citydog	Subject:	falling trees	2003-10-03 11:43:39
From:	Clayton Carter	Subject:	semantics of sound	2003-11-13 02:16:11
From:	Suta Gosvami	Subject:	Falling Tree	2003-11-19 18:44:50
From:	Swapan	Subject:	TREEE	2003-12-19 00:25:00
From:	V	Subject:	Tree falling ...	2004-02-14 13:36:55
From:	Ben	Subject:	the law says yes.	2004-04-20 16:55:05
From:	Mr Esquire	Subject:	If a tree falls in a forest	2004-05-03 23:44:49
From:	Djordje Dragic	Subject:	READ CAREFULLY	2004-05-05 12:19:59
From:	Steph	Subject:	tree	2004-05-11 00:08:01
From:	RO'H	Subject:	The Answer	2004-08-02 05:57:23
From:	martin	Subject:	Tree falls	2004-08-12 06:48:15
From:	infomix	Subject:	how about this?	2004-09-01 05:24:21
From:	Togo	Subject:	Most important issue	2004-09-11 10:45:26
From:	pop idol	Subject:	re: my 7 year old child...	2004-09-11 11:16:01
From:	Maria	Subject:	Experience will say so	2004-09-23 22:54:57
From:	Mike DiGrazia	Subject:	Why must I repeat myself	2004-10-30 04:44:54
From:	Mike DiGrazia	Subject:	Why must I repeat myself 2	2004-10-30 04:47:10
From:	Daniel Strnad	Subject:	you are deaf	2004-11-12 22:08:33
From:	McBrain	Subject:	Absence	2004-11-12 23:30:08
From:	john	Subject:	falling tree	2004-11-13 19:16:58
From:	Cindy	Subject:	entropy	2004-11-15 21:55:04
From:	TD	Subject:	deaf tree	2004-11-18 20:23:27
From:	ben	Subject:	if there wasnt sound would the tree fall	2004-11-29 18:48:26
From:	Jami	Subject:	Just ask	2004-12-10 03:56:20
From:	Barri_Kid	Subject:	Trees make sound	2004-12-13 01:18:45
From:	David M.	Subject:	Trees falling	2004-12-17 20:52:24
From:	dave	Subject:	does a falling tree make a noise?	2005-01-05 16:06:41
From:	Spooony/Bentley	Subject:	Falling tree	2005-01-05 18:44:52
From:	Mike	Subject:	The problem with atheism	2005-01-11 22:44:46
From:	ron	Subject:	no sound?	2005-01-15 13:12:12
From:	Clem	Subject:	Why does the tree fall?	2005-01-19 06:50:55
From:	Chris	Subject:	no, just vibrations	2005-01-23 23:31:30
From:	BraVerte	Subject:	Two People AT LEAST!	2005-01-24 19:58:58
From:	grabbin	Subject:	Tree falling	2005-02-23 23:21:32
From:	Mike DiGrazia	Subject:	Appologies	2005-02-25 06:06:59
From:	Vinesa	Subject:	Falling tree	2005-03-01 01:24:54
From:	Vinesa	Subject:	Falling tree	2005-03-01 01:26:28
From:	James	Subject:	This question is fucking ridiculous	2005-05-12 00:00:51
From:	Katiusha	Subject:	You lazy bloody bastards!	2005-05-13 18:12:23
From:	Zonya	Subject:	Paper	2005-05-13 18:28:41
From:	adam	Subject:	falling trees and life	2005-08-08 13:15:17
From:	the truth	Subject:	the forest	2005-08-25 02:20:46
From:	flakius	Subject:	falling tree	2005-09-24 13:18:00
From:	existence	Subject:	Us vs Tree	2005-09-29 09:56:43
From:	Mike DiGrazia	Subject:	Clutter	2005-10-06 07:02:37
From:	john	Subject:	falling tree	2005-10-06 20:47:44
From:	brad adams	Subject:	does the tree that falls make a noise?	2005-11-11 01:44:50
From:	Armadelo	Subject:	it is heard	2005-11-12 23:11:13
From:	Thomas Channing	Subject:	Words Exist by Nature	2005-12-20 19:23:43
From:	Biggie	Subject:	Sutras...	2006-01-03 21:26:40
From:	Shane	Subject:	Tree falling when no ones around	2006-02-15 03:01:52
From:	The Boy Who Would Be King	Subject:	?	2006-04-15 05:45:44
From:	Mike Didilidee	Subject:	Of No Significance.	2006-04-15 07:28:28
From:	sevenQ	Subject:	YES	2006-04-19 00:12:41
From:	I play heavy metal	Subject:	don't knock it!	2006-04-19 05:31:42
From:	Publius Cornelius Scipio	Subject:	What Ho!	2006-07-07 01:41:32
From:	chinesemafia	Subject:	NO SOUND	2006-08-05 03:23:13
From:	AJ Fletcher	Subject:	trees falling	2006-09-15 13:32:15
From:	richy	Subject:	trees	2006-09-25 22:44:25
From:	ZO	Subject:	noises	2006-10-10 06:24:16
From:	bemially	Subject:	no sound	2006-10-20 16:11:02
From:	esther	Subject:	falling tree	2006-10-21 11:06:10
From:	Devin	Subject:	Falling tree sounds	2006-10-26 19:11:03
From:	Sheik	Subject:	Trees	2006-11-20 03:57:40
From:	Shaster	Subject:	Tree	2007-01-22 10:52:24
From:	Brian	Subject:	Does a falling tree make a noise	2007-03-03 22:52:42
From:	Mike DiGrazia	Subject:	A sad day..	2007-03-15 16:35:30
From:	unowot?	Subject:	If a tree falls...	2007-05-24 04:18:29
From:	Johanna	Subject:	If a tree falls in the wood. . . . . . ?	2007-06-21 22:05:30
From:	Goerge	Subject:	wrong!!!	2007-08-03 19:46:12
From:	chinesemafia	Subject:	After over a year	2007-10-01 08:45:55
From:	jordyn	Subject:	my tree fell down	2007-12-23 19:26:24
From:	JOhnyCrazymna	Subject:	trees fallin'...	2008-04-07 16:38:21

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Sai tries to refute my falling tree argument