Comments | flintknappy: If a tree falls in a forest...

flintknappy

If a tree falls in a forest...

Jul 10, 2008 18:40

Inspired by a recent conversation about the topic with rymenhild, I've decided to take a census on the matter:
If a tree falls in a forest, and there is no one there to hear it, does it make a sound? All comments and rationales are welcome!

Comments 7

debka_notion July 11 2008, 00:56:51 UTC

I think that it does make a sound, either because that's simply the way the world works, or more poetically, because G-d is always there listening.

flintknappy July 13 2008, 04:59:08 UTC

That's a really nice answer actually. It is rather poetic. :)

taylweaver July 11 2008, 02:42:13 UTC

Like Schroedinger's cat, it both does and does not make a sound - until someone observes it - at which point someone was there, and the question is irrelevant.

flintknappy July 13 2008, 05:04:24 UTC

A good point. Interesting. That's sort of how we got onto the subject- there was a segue about 'Schrodinger's girlfriend', how if cell reception drops, then the person at the other end does not cease to exist, they are still there. The whole thing, as I have maintained, and Solomon told me I was right, when we discussed it over shabbos dinner two summers ago, was that the cat is either alive, or it is dead, and you don't know which, until someone opens the box. That doesn't in my opinion make it a state of suspension of both, it's one or the other, and you just don't know which yet.

muchabstracted February 13 2009, 00:30:07 UTC

Hey! I was mourning to rymenhild on her recent visit that it felt so strange to have never actually met you, and that I felt it would be weird for me to even friend you on LJ/Facebook what with the lack of actual introduction. (Goodness, that makes me feel like Miss Manners.) Anyway, she explained to me it would, in fact, not be weird for me to friend you. I'm Erica, in case the weird LJ osmosis of knowledge of the real names behind people's LJ identities hasn't quite made it around in my case.

flintknappy February 16 2009, 22:56:10 UTC

Howdy! It is strange that we have never actually met. We will have to rectify that some time. In the meantime, you are welcome to friend me, and I shall friend you back. I have been a terrible livejournaler, however, on account of school. I read other people's journals, but rarely find the motivation to update my own. Nonetheless, welcome aboard! I'll have to ask rymenhild what your last name is so I can find you on facebook if you would like. I know you are a member of rymenhild's good friends, and that makes you cool by association. (I have noticed your username commenting on her journal and such, so now I at least have a name to go with the username).

muchabstracted February 16 2009, 23:21:52 UTC

Heh. Regarding facebook, it would probably be easiest to get Andrea to "suggest" one of us to the other, or something similar, as I have a pseudonym on LJ. (Fake last name, am neurotic that clients will find me.)

I expect that school can do that sort of thing to anyone. I tend more towards LJ than Facebook, because status updates always feel like they should be more clever and pithy than I have the patience to craft, but I suppose they are different tools.