Re: Koans

by **Ip Lockard** on Mon Sep 15, 2008 8:22 am

Skinny Bones Jones wrote:
I can't see how light acts differently when there's no-one there to see it.. that would mean that there's some sort of reaction from it - meaning a chemical reaction from us? or like meaning the light is a living thing?

He's right on this one - gimme a sec I'll see if I can dig out the youtube video that shows it really well.
Aha - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q4_nl0ICao
That's what he means.

It's a bit of a mind-bender though.

by **KIA Sneak** on Mon Sep 15, 2008 8:38 am

Ip Lockard wrote:
Skinny Bones Jones wrote:
I can't see how light acts differently when there's no-one there to see it.. that would mean that there's some sort of reaction from it - meaning a chemical reaction from us? or like meaning the light is a living thing?

He's right on this one - gimme a sec I'll see if I can dig out the youtube video that shows it really well.
Aha - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q4_nl0ICao
That's what he means.

It's a bit of a mind-bender though.

haha good video. Yeah you have to love shy electrons.

That video suggests the Tree could just turn into a chicken if no ones watching it though.

I think the better question is using the cat. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN-jCuV7BoU

Is the cat dead or not?

by Pughie on Mon Sep 15, 2008 10:07 am

our ears have dampeners in them anyway, so the actual sounds we hear are not how loud a sound actually is.

If the tree is on earth yes it would make a sound!

by **Skinny Bones Jones** on Mon Sep 15, 2008 1:24 pm

Ip, that video suggests that particles are alive, and not only alive, but know when they're being observed.

This will sound silly for me to say, but I honestly don't beleive it is true.
Also.
The cat video is different to the funky science lecture video. The cat video explains that when we aren't there we have to assume all posibilities, and the science video makes out that particles realise we're around and act differently because of that.

Reminds me of his dark materials... sounds awfully like dust.

by **malchert** on Wed Sep 17, 2008 11:12 am

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=usTOM8vffB4
Little explanation on the ligth comment twat-ers made

by Peter Steven on Mon Dec 15, 2008 11:55 am

Light is affected by various quantum phenomena in a way that sound is not, they are two completely different types of wave. But back to the original question, it depends on your definition of sound. If you consider a sound to be something you can hear, then if there is nobody to hear there can be no sound. If you consider sound to be a compression wave travelling through the air, then it does not require anyone to hear it. But, as already mentioned, if there was nobody to observe it, how would you know the tree ever actually fell down?