By Anonymous - 20/01/2016 05:05 - United States - Albuquerque

Today, I found out if a tree falls in the forest and there's nobody around, it does in fact make a sound, and also $5,000 worth of damage to your truck. FML
I agree, your life sucks 21 982
You deserved it 1 592
Summer: Sun, Sea and Blunders
Summer anecdotes where the sun shines... and blunders are never far away! More…
Previous FML Next FML

Same thing different taste

Next

Top comments

ariastyles12 25

If nobody was around, then how do you know it made a sound?

220 13
kpetrovski 24

Well, now we know! May we never ponder this thought again. Good game, everyone.

87 3

Comments

jessenia123 27

Sorry that happened to you Op I hope you can get it fixed

16 2
ariastyles12 25

If nobody was around, then how do you know it made a sound?

220 13
mds9986 24

Because sound is waves of pressure propagating through air. Thus, the disturbance created by the tree will make a sound regardless is somebody's eardrum was able to pick it up.

22 5
holly_fly 34

While that is true, you just said that sound is really waves of pressure in the air, there has to be a receptor, such as a person's eardrum to turn those waves into sound... So if they never get translated into sound... Is it really a sound, or just waves that continue bouncing around until they dissipate?

19 4
tantanpanda 26

its not a science question, it's an English question. It's not like waves of pressure magically turn into sound in your ear. Your brain interprets the signal. Whether you're there to interpret the waves of pressure is irrelevant.

15 3
mds9986 24

29-There does not have to be a receptor for something to be classified as sound. It's sound weather there is one or not.

1 3
incoherentrmblr 21

I can only wonder if this happened in Roswell, since OP's in New Mexico...

2 3
memeometer 11

From a scientific standpoint, it's obvious that the tree would in fact make a sound, but I think the question not only targets our logical thinking, but something else as well. I don't really know what else it targets, but that's just my guess

0 1
Redtail_fml 3

It's only a sound once its in ur ear otherwise it's just waves if there are no ears around then there is no sound

0 1
alternative-facts 6

Besides, I'm sure there was some kind of life form with ears to hear it, even if it wasn't human. Foxes, bunnies, chipmunks, gnomes...

0 0
MystoganFT 18

damn that sucks. hopefully you can get that fixed up OP. what made the tree fall right on your truck?

13 3
HerrPoopyPants 16

#4 one of the best responses I have seen. I just wanted to congratulate you on that.

10 1
xx000o 27

Don't leave your truck in the forest.

1 1
kpetrovski 24

Well, now we know! May we never ponder this thought again. Good game, everyone.

87 3
Steve97 32

Well that's a modern twist on a classic riddle

6 6
grajax 24

Actually, the tree technically doesn't make a sound if no living things are around to hear it. But that's a whole different story, it sucks that your car got hit OP, maybe it was trying to pursue its career of being a lumberjack?

7 22
dolphinlvr7 24

Actually it does, only nothing hears it...

18 3
satanic_fml 13

go look up the definition of sound...although there are probably plenty of animals that heard it

4 3
anonnnymous10 10

Sound is created by vibrations hitting your ear drum. So if nothing is around that has ear drums to translate the vibrations, no sound is made.

5 8
elppa_fml 10

Um no :') that's just how your body processes the sound. 'If a tree falls and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound?' YES Why? SCIENCE.

9 2
Obito_Uchiha651 17

You might want to see if you can take 1st grade science again

3 2
imStoneCold 7

If there were no living things around then the ******* tree would not exist to fall in the first place dumbass.

0 4
anonnnymous10 10

Actually, if you look it up, I'm right. Many scientists have said so, and it's been published in scientific magazines and books, such as Scientific American. I've also had serval college professors answer this question.

2 1
NightOWL666 14

Were you as crushed as your truck when you realized what happened? Sorry OP, hopefully insurance picks up most of the bill

2 8
Reider022 16

Does the tin man have a sheet metal **** ?

1 8
Reider022 16

Because asking if a tree makes a sound when it falls is a rhetorical question.. and my question was rhetorical to. The tin man clearly has a sheet metal **** to clarify.

1 1
DBpiano 22

I feel so bad for you, but this was such a well written FML that I just had to laugh!

7 4