Science is a metaphysical party pooper.

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There is no generalization. The idea is not that the universe *must* cease to exist whenever you sleep, but rather that it is *possible* that the universe ceases to exist. In any case, you might not like accepting it, but unless you can disprove such a possibility, it seems questionable to deny it as possible.

We have a designated driver? Hot dog I'm going for seconds on the "kewl aid".

Wait, maybe we're overlooking another point of contention: is a sound the same thing as a sound wave? Is the sound an intrinsic part of the wave, or is it manufactured in the human sensory faculties? A sound is a product of the way that we process the vibrations in the air, not something in the waves themselves.

I love both science and metaphysics.

Science is cool. I feel that way because I watch MythBusters.

On another note, if it hasn't been experienced first hand nor proven yet....then it's "false".

Not false. Merely not possible to take seriously.

This can be argued both ways:

1. Sound is a function of the vibrating air (or other medium such as the land the tree falls on) it is quantifiable in terms of amplitude, frequency and duration. It has an associated energy. So from a scientific point of view a sound is an objective thing independent to the observer.

Taking the alternate argument, which is the one I think you posit, then:

2. The subjective experience of sound differs from what scientists would describe as physical sound. While the two are related, in the sense that subjective sound is experienced as a result of physical sound, the relationship is not mapped one to one. In other words you can hear the sound of your own thoughts where there is no physical sound. This is true of all subjective experience not just sound, but also for vision, touch, smell, taste and the construction of a three dimensional "reality" in which we live. In principle it is possible none of these things exist and we are all merely brains in jars wired up to sense whatever impulses are sent to the brain - rather like the Matrix movie.

Getting back to the original question. It all comes down to which definition of sound you are using; objective or subjective. The objective sound will always exist when the tree falls independent of whether there is anyone there to hear it or not. If there are not observers then there will not be any associated subjective sound.

Problem solved.

all sense data such as what we see could be an illusion and we could be creations of another person. What makes science right?

I will mention I am not anti science

Science is the formulation of principles regarding observation of what is "right". Mathematics is employed to describe what "really happens" not what subjectively happens. I am glad you are not anti science, to be anti science would be the same as anti reason. Unfortunately there are a lot of people who are anti science because it conflicts with their beliefs. I'll take facts over make-believe any day.

If a tree falls in te forest and lands on Helen Keller, does it make a sound?

ruveyn

In a fashion, yes. You sure will hear Helen Keller scream, assuming we are not speaking of her mummified body.

Yeah...which is why the word is in quotes.

Yes, but my faith got it first crack, when I understood as a child the function of a lightning rod and discovered that or local (Catholic) church had one ...

Merriam-Webster defines a designated driver as "a person chosen to abstain from intoxicants (as alcohol) so as to transport others safely who are not abstaining."

So scientists are the sober people trying to get a bunch of raucus, rowdy, cognitively-impaired individuals to their destinations without causing injury to them or letting them puke all over the place (and cleaning up after them if they do).

Somehow, the metaphor seems to fit very well ...

It's those strange things they eat and drink at church that does it "body of Christ" "blood of Christ". They are worse than Klingons when they rave it up.