# If a tree falls in the forest.. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 21, 1999, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527 "1999-09-21T14:38:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kellibelli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e480ec/32.png) [@kellibelli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellibelli)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527/21 "1999-09-21T18:39:00Z")
Now _that_ is a theory we should all explore… [slaps Palidors too] ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527/22 "1999-09-21T18:44:00Z")
Of course it makes a sound. I was born in 1964. To say it didn’t make a soung is akin to me saying. Since I wasn’t around before 1964 nothing actually happened. Of course it did. Just because you don’t witness it doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened. ---
**Author:** ![WallyM7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5e925/32.png) [@WallyM7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WallyM7)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527/23 "1999-09-21T21:10:00Z")
Palidors originally listed his occupation as a quantum physicist. I very politely asked him a physics question, but apparently he is not speaking to me. I think he felt betrayed when he found out I’m really Elizabeth Taylor. * * * If you’re an optimist, you haven’t been paying attention. ---
**Author:** ![Ken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/cc9497/32.png) [@Ken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527/24 "1999-09-21T21:47:00Z")
If a tree falls and someone IS around, does it make a sound? Or does that person just imagine a sound because falling trees are supposed to make sounds? ---
**Author:** ![Brother\_Haus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Brother\_Haus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brother_Haus)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527/25 "1999-09-21T22:06:00Z")
Tree’s do not fall, they… **T-I-M-B-E-R**!! * * * Confusious Say: -Man who stand on toilet, Is high on pot- ---
**Author:** ![Nickrz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@Nickrz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nickrz)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527/26 "1999-09-21T22:47:00Z")
Let’s be nice, people. We don’t need to toss out the dreaded T-word or hit people just because we don’t like their question. ## Any question can be new and intriguing to someone who has not heard it before. Nickrz GQ Mod ---
**Author:** ![DW3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@DW3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DW3)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527/27 "1999-09-21T22:55:00Z")
> [@](#): > > If a tree falls on a mime, does it make a sound? [TennHippie](http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000865.html) ---
**Author:** ![WallyM7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5e925/32.png) [@WallyM7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WallyM7)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 1999, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527/28 "1999-09-22T00:16:00Z")
If the mime is trying to get out of an invisible box, then of course, the tree, being perpend… Forget it. * * * If you’re an optimist, you haven’t been paying attention. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 1999, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527/29 "1999-09-22T01:11:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Any question can be new and intriguing to someone who has not heard it before. Are you trying to imply there’s someone in the universe who hasn’t heard this question before? ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 1999, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527/30 "1999-09-22T15:14:00Z")
‘Are you trying to imply there’s someone in the universe who hasn’t heard this question before?’ Yeah, little deafened me. On the other hand, anyone know what the sound of one hand clapping is as I can’t hear that either. ---
**Author:** ![gypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbce88/32.png) [@gypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gypsy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 1999, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527/31 "1999-09-23T05:12:00Z")
handy, one hand clapping sounds like Van Morrison singing. * * * Unforgiven ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 1999, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527/32 "1999-09-22T19:32:00Z")
Okay, for this I’ll go back to my university physics days. First, consider a massless/frictionless tree… Oh, never mind. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 1999, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527/33 "1999-09-22T20:34:00Z")
If you close your eyes and I smack you in the back of the head, does it hurt? ---
**Author:** ![Temujin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Temujin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Temujin)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 1999, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527/34 "1999-09-23T09:58:00Z")
If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there to hear it, where are they? ---
**Author:** ![TheIncredibleHolg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8797f3/32.png) [@TheIncredibleHolg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheIncredibleHolg)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 1999, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527/35 "1999-09-23T10:21:00Z")
If a tree falls in the forest, and there’s no one around to hear it, then who felled it? ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 1999, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527/36 "1999-09-23T14:31:00Z")
I’d like to branch out and see how many of you twig what’s going on: If a tree falls in a vacuum… ---
**Author:** ![Rasputin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dec6dc/32.png) [@Rasputin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasputin)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 1999, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527/37 "1999-09-23T15:49:00Z")
If I start banging my head against my keyboard, does it make a sound? 66uybdc7g6b 6vbhfhyjuhjy Anyone hear that? I wonder how it’s pronounced… * * * “Give a man a match and he’ll be warm for an hour… Set him on fire and he’ll be warm for the rest of his life.” ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 1999, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527/38 "1999-09-23T16:07:00Z")
gypsy, nope, haven’t & probably wouldn’t if I could, listened to Morrison. How about one of the Beatles? I think the big question should have been changed to ‘if you are in the forest & a tree falls on you, do you feel it?’ ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 1999, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527/39 "1999-09-23T16:37:00Z")
If a tree falls on a mime, does he scream? * * * “I had a feeling that in Hell there would be mushrooms.” -The Secret of Monkey Island ---
**Author:** ![BenDover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c77e96/32.png) [@BenDover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BenDover)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 1999, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527/40 "1999-09-23T16:37:00Z")
If a mime falls out of a tree in the forest and lands on a deaf person, does anyone hear it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-tree-falls-in-the-forest/3527.md?page=3)