A tree falls in a dense forest where there is no one. Does it still count as a sound?
This is a Perception riddle and hence there is no right or wrong attached to this answer.
It can be considered as a sound
> It makes the sounds of branches snapping and the almighty thump when the trunk hits the hard ground. The sound is sound and doesn't rely on people to interpret it.
> Yes. And isn't that a rather arrogant question, as what about all the animals that presumably hear it?
It cannot be considered as a sound because
> Does it depend on what you mean by 'sound'? The airwaves would still vibrate but without an ear/listening device to receive them, there would be no sound.
> The sound is something within human experience. Outside of this, it's just air (or whatever another medium) vibrating. If someone is there to hear it, it makes a sound, if not, it causes rapid movement of particles.
