X-Message-Number: 18019 Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2001 04:24:51 -0800 From: Kennita Watson <> Subject: Schrodinger's Tree My input from the peanut gallery in the philosophy arena: "If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?" Actually, if there's no one there to hear it, it makes all possible sounds. When there is someone there, the wave function of all possible sounds collapses into the single sound or combination of sounds (or none) perceived by the perceiver(s). Of course, that depends on where "there" is. By the Many Worlds Interpretation, the tree makes all possible sounds independent of who or what is listening or from where: "Pick a universe, any universe!" Mind you, all this depends upon the time-binding of the concept "sound", insofar as a sound can neither be made nor be perceived instantaneously (pitch is defined by frequency, which presupposes time). So, the answer to that question is: "Yes, No, Yes or No, Yes and No, or It Depends, depending on your point or points of view.". :-) -- May you live long and prosper, Kennita -- Kennita Watson | Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; | None but ourselves can free our minds. http://www.kennita.com | -- Bob Marley, "Redemption Song" Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=18019