The big questions

[Angus_Chisholm]

Thanks for you responces guys, Celyn, I had to laugh, its a novell idea.

My own thought on trees falling is that energy can neither be created or destroyed. A tree as it stands has potential energy, if it falls, this energy is transformed, mostly to kinetic, but there will be friction thats produces heat and sound energy.

As for it not existing when you don't look at it. Can I suggest turning round really quickly and try and catch it materialising!

[ANDY-J]

It's a bit like when you first look at the second hand of a clock and it appears to stand still.No one has ever provided me with a satisfactoery explanation for this phenomenon-except for Einstein.

[such-is-life]

Andy-J,

I must ask, can a scientific experiment not be set up to prove einstein correct or wrong? If some sort of recording equipment was used in a forest, could the question of the sound made by a tree falling when people are not present, be answered?

[Pork-Rinds]

Any object used for recording, whether it be audio or video or otherwise(?), is classified as observation. So the mere presence of a microphone would only prove the part of Einstein's theory about the object being on the same plane(?) because it's being observed.

[such-is-life]

How is observation defined in Einstien's terms then? As far as i can understand, observation is: to see, perceive, notice; to watch carefully, pay attention to. So is a microphone etc. capable of observation? Is it not merely a piece of electrical equipment, unable to interact with its surroundings? Can an elctrical change be defined as 'notice' within the definition of observation? Is observation not only a human procedure?

[ANDY-J]

Such is life,
Anyone who examines quantum theory will inevitably be shocked to learn that(apparently) not everything in the world is governed by Newton's laws.It is theoretically the case that a quantum particle exhibits the characteristics of a wave until such times as it is observed.It will then exhibit the characteristics of a solid particle.A photon of light(the smallest known particle)will react in the presence of another photon.Is this as Einstein stated a self-conscious particle?This phenomenon gave rise to his observation 'that God doesn't play dice'.Quantum physics however raises all kinds of insoluble questions about the nature of matter,time and space.

[Pork-Rinds]

However, I will say that the tape recorder was invented by man to act as a function of observation. Therefore, if man were to place a tape recorder in the woods, set it to record, and leave, then that would be considered observation.