If a tree falls in the woods, and nobody’s around to hear it, does it make a noise?
Yes, of course it does. At least from a physics point of view, the falling tree produced sound waves regardless of available receptors. But are you asking the question from a physics point of view or a personal perception point of view?
If you run five miles but your watch goes dead and doesn’t log it, did you do it?
Yes, of course you did. At least from a physical point of view, your legs ran, your heart and lungs pumped, and you burned the calories. But are you asking the question from a physical point of view or from a social point of view?
If you fail to stop completely at a stop sign in the middle of the night in the country, did you break the law?
Yes, of course you did. At least from a legal technical point of view, you must come to a complete and full stop at all stop signs. But are you asking from a legal technical point of view or from a practical safety point of view?
When we’re talking about noise, we’re rarely talking about physics.
