The answer COULD be both "yes" and "No", depending on how you define "Sound".


If you define "sound" as vibration in the air, the answer is of course "yes" because there're air vibrations when a tree falls regardless if there're animals or people in the wood.


If you define "sound" as something you HEAR, i.e. something that is interpreted by the brains, then answer is clearly "No". Nobody means no brain, therefore no sound.


The answer should therefore be "No" (à la Lisa) because sound should be defined as hearing of air vibration (via the eardrums), not vibrations by themselves. Vibration is vibration. Hearing is hearing. Confusion would arise if you think the two things are the same .


Deaf people/animals can't hear sounds even if there're air vibrations. If air vibration doesn't reach the brain (due to deafness), you won't hear the sound.


If a tree falls in the wood, and there're many people there but with 100% deafness. Does it make a sound? Strictly speaking, it doesn't matter if people are in the wood or not. It only matters if they can hear or not because sound is defined by hearing, not by air vibration. (Of course, the deaf people know what's going on, they're not blind. They just don't HEAR any SOUND).


It's possible that you have a perfect functioning eardrums, it may be some malfunction in your brain that ignores or can't process any audio signal from the eardrums or the connection between the eardrums and the sound region of the brain is severed. Bottom line, no hearing, no sound. With or without anyone in the wood.


This sounds (no pun intended) like a complicated issue, but in fact, it boils down to how you define "Sound". One may say that definition could be complicated and tricky. I agree.


These are my thoughts. Please put your thoughts in the comments.

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