gofar99 Messages: 1955 Registered: May 2010 Location: Southern Arizona
Illuminati (5th Degree)
Hi, Normally the property of sound is defined as a set of positive and negative pressure waves. So no sound is not something to be heard as hearing is the sensing of the presure waves. The definitions do mix physical and non-physical issues and this can cause confusion. Worse if we define sound as something we hear...thus if there is a set of pressure waves caused by a rock falling and we don't hear it is there sound? I guess in the long run it depends on whether you are a scientist or an ear doctor.
@gofar.. Ha, scientist or ear doctor - funny. I don't think silence is a sound. I'm not a professional though. Silence is just that, no wavelength of sound to me means no sound.
The absence of sound does appear to people like it is a sound in itself but this only happens because our brain makes up for the absence of it. Whenever it has become too silent, I've experienced suddenly asking myself if it is.
It's an interesting question that has many answers I suppose. I think the best way to answer that, aside from the technical facts already pointed out, is to ask a 100% deaf person if they "hear".
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