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Hell, I leave my televison on everyday when I go to work. When I walk in the door when I get home, does it hear me turn my key in the door and hurry and start making sound again?
Maybe a more important question might be why in the world don't you shut off that tv when you leave and save on electricity? But to get back to the basic question I completely understand the common sense way you're looking at this but I think a distinction has to be made between sound waves and the actual sound itself. I believe they're two separate things. What I'm getting at is that our ears turn the phenomenon of sounds waves into what we perceive as sound in our brains. A person who's deaf may be surrounded by sound waves but they are lacking the physical mechanism to detect them and translate them into sound. I'm not 100% sure I'm right about this but it makes sense to me that sound itself only occurs in our brain. Does that make any sense or do I SOUND crazy?
I've always believed that the sound occurs only when it is heard and if there is nothing there to process the signal all you have is sonic waves traveling through the woods like a radio signal without a receiver.
Maybe a more important question might be why in the world don't you shut off that tv when you leave and save on electricity? But to get back to the basic question I completely understand the common sense way you're looking at this but I think a distinction has to be made between sound waves and the actual sound itself. I believe they're two separate things. What I'm getting at is that our ears turn the phenomenon of sounds waves into what we perceive as sound in our brains. A person who's deaf may be surrounded by sound waves but they are lacking the physical mechanism to detect them and translate them into sound. I'm not 100% sure I'm right about this but it makes sense to me that sound itself only occurs in our brain. Does that make any sense or do I SOUND crazy?
Hey Montanaguy,
I know that I should turn off the television. The one I leave on is an old Sony Projector 50 inch that I've had since about 2001. I've left in on all day and night since I've owned it. My electrician said he can't believe it's lasted so long and that it would probably last twice as long had I turned it off every now and then.
Mrs DonnaReed forgive me if this a unpolite question but if you dont mind me asking which schools did you attend. In a post i read you went to both CUNY and Ivy league and as an aspiring ivy league student for grad who can only afford a cuny undergraduate education I would love to know your experience please.
It's late and I'm lost here as well. I thought sound was an interpretation of waves, just as our ability to see light is an interpretation. The interpretation isn't the actual wave. So, I'd say no, if nobody is there to hear it, there isn't an interpretation.
It's late and I'm lost here as well. I thought sound was an interpretation of waves, just as our ability to see light is an interpretation. The interpretation isn't the actual wave. So, I'd say no, if nobody is there to hear it, there isn't an interpretation.
Depends on what field of study in which you are defining sound. In Physics, the only requirements for sound are the source and a media in which to propogate. In Psychology, in addition to the source and media, a receiver is also needed.
Sound is a phenomena that occurs when vibrations, carried by air, meet the receptical (ear) designed to detect them. Without BOTH the vibrations and the ear, the thing we call sound cannot exist!
Thats not the exact or whole truth...There are "sounds" out of our hearing range. yet other species can "hear" them. Do they not exist, even though an "ear" cant detect them?
Remember some species detect vibrations by various body parts...
...Some bats use ultrasound for echo location while in flight. Dogs are able to hear ultrasound, which is the principle of "silent" dog whistles. Snakes sense infrasound through their bellies, and whales, giraffes, and elephants use it for communication. As with other vertebrates, fish have an inner ear to detect sound, although through the medium of water.
Sound, like light, can exist without any mechanical or biological receptor. If you plug your ears does the sound of jackhammers cease? If you cover your eyes does the light stop? Sound requires a media. The sun is a very loud sonic source but cannot be heard because the vacuum of space prevents transmission of the vibrations to earth. Light does not require any media for transmission hence we can see the sun. Sound and light exist so long as they are generated.
So if a tree falls in the forest and is not heard it still makes a sound.
Depends on what field of study in which you are defining sound. In Physics, the only requirements for sound are the source and a media in which to propogate. In Psychology, in addition to the source and media, a receiver is also needed.
In physics, sound is still an interpretation of a wave. If that's not the case, can you share a helpful link?
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But to get back to the basic question I completely understand the common sense way you're looking at this but I think a distinction has to be made between sound waves and the actual sound itself. I believe they're two separate things. What I'm getting at is that our ears turn the phenomenon of sounds waves into what we perceive as sound in our brains. A person who's deaf may be surrounded by sound waves but they are lacking the physical mechanism to detect them and translate them into sound. I'm not 100% sure I'm right about this but it makes sense to me that sound itself only occurs in our brain. Does that make any sense or do I SOUND crazy?
your schools
