There is an age old question that goes like this:
Does a falling tree makes a sound if there is no one around?
I am not certain where this question originated or what relevance it may have. Enlighten me if you know. I think I may have an answer. I will share it now.
A falling tree certainly generates a disturbance in the surrounding atmosphere and creates a sound wave. Yet this is not sound. Sound is the perceived appreciation of that sound wave.
Thus there are 3 essential components that create “sound”.
- A disturbance producing sound waves.
- A sound receiver that can convert a sound wave into an electrochemical equivalent. That is the ear.
- A processor that can decode and then perceive that electrochemical signal. That is our brain.
Thus no sound is produced if any one of the 3 components is missing. A falling tree produces only a potentiality of a sound when no one is around.