04 Aug 08
Originally posted by shavixmirI often wonder what the first hen must have felt like. All her siblings
That's not a riddle though. The egg came first.
A chicken has to come out of an egg, but the egg could have come out of the predecessor to the chicken.
wondered along and procreated like they always had when suddenly the
mother of all hen went: plop! Plop! plop-plop! "What the hell!?"
How embarrassing to do that in front of your non-egging sisters. 🙄
04 Aug 08
Originally posted by HandyAndyAlways enjoyed that line from Carlin. Wonder what kind of a day he's having today.
Is an old cherub like an old chestnut? Or maybe a young chestnut?
Here's a thought from the late George Carlin: "If a man speaks in the forest and there is no woman there to hear it, is he still wrong?"
C
05 Aug 08
Originally posted by BeltaineI always looked at in this way:
If a tree falls in a forest with no one there, does it make a sound?
Am I the only person who thinks the answer to this old cherub is simple and obvious?
If a tree falls in a forest with no one there, does it make a sound?
If no one is there, then who gives a rat's ass? 😕
05 Aug 08
Originally posted by rbmorrisnice one.
Tower Records was deafening.
All that potential noise on the shelves.
So, we're thinking about the nature of reality, are we?
I am reminded of the old Buddhist proverb, In which a master asked a pupil,
"What is the sound of one hand clapping?"
When the student, understandably confused, had no answer, the master slapped him.
05 Aug 08
Originally posted by BeltaineTrying to return to your original point, the answer given by a certain physics lecturer who played a bit-part in my degree education was "yes".
Well, my answer to this is "No" because for a sound to be a sound it has to be heard. Without anyone there, all you have is pressure waves traveling through the air.
What's your alternative interpretation of the question?
One definition of sound is 'mechanical vibrations transmitted through an elastic medium, traveling in air at a speed of approximately 1087 ft. (331 m) per second at sea level'.
A further definition being 'the sensation produced by stimulation of the organs of hearing by vibrations transmitted through the air or other medium'.
So the latter is a function of the former, but the former is not dependent on the latter! In short, a sound does not have to be heard. It exists in the form of sound (pressure) waves, and so the tree generates these, regardless of whether any living thing is present to interpret that sound.
Semantics yes, but that's the written word for you 🙂
05 Aug 08
Originally posted by PolicestateThat's interesting, but I still think that the effect doesn't become a true sound until it is heard. Having said that, what about heat or light? Those can be said to exist without being directly experienced can't they? What if we placed a dicibel meter near the tree an viewed the output remotely. Does that mean there is a sound?
Trying to return to your original point, the answer given by a certain physics lecturer who played a bit-part in my degree education was "yes".
One definition of sound is 'mechanical vibrations transmitted through an elastic medium, traveling in air at a speed of approximately 1087 ft. (331 m) per second at sea level'.
A further definition being 'the s ...[text shortened]... s present to interpret that sound.
Semantics yes, but that's the written word for you 🙂
07 Aug 08
Originally posted by SeitseI agree completely. I think we humans are parasites run wild and planet Earth would be a much better place without us. Mind you, since good and evil do not exist from the perspective of the universe as a whole, but are instead artificial constructs of the human mind based on how things affect our ability to survive as a species, then nothing really matters anyway.
Why the HELL is the human (or any human made thing) necessary in order for the rest of the creation to exist, to 'be'?
Sheesh, this world won't miss our disgusting ego when we are finally extinct!