Gibberings CVI: Check Out My Subaru

[knock]

Place a tape recorder there. Run the output into an oscilloscope. You'll see the waveform, therefore see the sound, so you know it's there even though no-one has heard it.

Tape recorders record pressure waves, not "sound" and when played, they recreate pressure waves, which are then turned into sound in our heads.

EDIT it's kind of obvious when you consider how a microphone and loudspeaker work, i.e. one is moved by moving air and one moves air.

 

[Mailmonkey]

Exactly the sound is our interpretation of the vibrations caused when the tree falls...If there's nothing that hears it, there will be no perception of the 'noise'.

Yeah it doesn't mean there's no noise though, there's just no noise been subjectively perceived.

 

[jancrow]

There ain't half been some clever bastards.

 

[parttime crackhead]

The tree still made a fucking noise though.

 

[knock]

Yeah it doesn't mean there's no noise though, there's just no noise been subjectively perceived.

all depends what you mean by noise. If you mean pressure waves in air, then yes. If you mean that noisy shit, then no!

 

[Mailmonkey]

You're fucking worse than my mate MSB

 

[knock]

You're fucking worse than my mate MSB

I know. Have you only just realised?

 

[parttime crackhead]

all depends what you mean by noise. If you mean pressure waves in air, then yes. If you mean that noisy shit, then no!

Pressure waves in air are "that noisy shit" though. By your logic nothing makes a sound. My fingers hitting the keys right now are not making a sound, they are making pressure waves in air, my eardrum is making the sound.

 

[Albion]

It's all that 3-meo-wotsitcalled he slips into his tea

 

[knock]

I'm guessing that's where the saying "curiosity killed the cat" came from then?

Strangely enough, no. The proverb precedes Schrödinger's analogy, and presumably influenced him when he chose a cat to go in the box.

Pressure waves in air are "that noisy shit" though. By your logic nothing makes a sound. My fingers hitting the keys right now are not making a sound, they are making pressure waves in air, my eardrum is making the sound.

No, my logic here is that "sound" is something that happens in my head. Like colour, pleasure, whatever.

 

[Mailmonkey]

I'm bellowing "knockando is a cock" at the top of my voice.

can any of you hear it?

No, but it doesn't mean it's not true

 

[parttime crackhead]

No, my logic here is that "sound" is something that happens in my head. Like colour, pleasure, whatever.

Aye that's what I meant. Replace eardrum with head in my statement. Meaning that the only thing that makes any sound is your head. The tree doesn't make a sound when it falls regardless of someone being there or not. If someone is there then their head makes a sound. Stupid way of looking at things though. The tree has done something that your brain interprets as "sound". The tree does this whether you are there or not, so it still basically makes a sound. It still does exactly the same thing regardless of someone being there to witness it or not.

 

[Mailmonkey]

Aye that's what I meant. Replace eardrum with head in my statement. Meaning that the only thing that makes any sound is your head. The tree doesn't make a sound when it falls regardless of someone being there or not. If someone is there then their head makes a sound. Stupid way of looking at things though. The tree has done something that your brain interprets as "sound". The tree does this whether you are there or not, so it still basically makes a sound. It still does exactly the same thing regardless of someone being there to witness it or not.

winner.

 

[knock]

Aye that's what I meant. Replace eardrum with head in my statement. Meaning that the only thing that makes any sound is your head. The tree doesn't make a sound when it falls regardless of someone being there or not. If someone is there then their head makes a sound. Stupid way of looking at things though. The tree has done something that your brain interprets as "sound". The tree does this whether you are there or not, so it still basically makes a sound. It still does exactly the same thing regardless of someone being there to witness it or not.

The tree has done something that my brain interprets as sound. That thing is to make air vibrate. Pressure waves in the atmosphere. As a sentient human being I recognise a difference between air moving about and a perception in my head. It's this difference that makes me sentient and a pebble, not sentient.

 

[Albion]

winner.

Winning.

 

[Mailmonkey]

The tree has done something that my brain interprets as sound. That thing is to make air vibrate. Pressure waves in the atmosphere. As a sentient human being I recognise a difference between air moving about and a perception in my head. It's this difference that makes me sentient and a pebble, not sentient.

Thats a different argument altogether....thats the "How do I know I'm not a pebble?" debate.

T

 

[parttime crackhead]

The tree has done something that my brain interprets as sound. That thing is to make air vibrate. Pressure waves in the atmosphere. As a sentient human being I recognise a difference between air moving about and a perception in my head. It's this difference that makes me sentient and a pebble, not sentient.

Lol. Ok. But the question is still really stupid. The tree either always makes a sound or never makes a sound, someone being there is totally irrelevant.

 

[knock]

Lol. Ok. But the question is still really stupid. The tree either always makes a sound or never makes a sound, someone being there is totally irrelevant.

No. Or rather yes! The tree never makes a sound. Sound is made by brains!

Yes the question is stupid. That's my point. But it only becomes stupid when you decide exactly what you mean by "sound". The meaning is confused because some people recognise a difference between a physical event and it's perception, others do not, others still can't contemplate what that difference could be.

 

[Albion]

Perhaps it does a bit of a Schrodinger and both makes a noise and doesn't make a noise

Satisfactory answer.

 

[parttime crackhead]

No. Or rather yes! The tree never makes a sound. Sound is made my brains!

Yes the question is stupid. That's my point.

Haha, aye fair does. I'll accept that. It's one of those supposedly paradoxical, unanswerable questions that isn't at all. It's quite easily answerable.

Edit - Wait! If sound is made by brains, then what about sound-waves???