Why does the Universe exist?

@InfraBlue,

Quote:

We're using the different definitions of the word "sound" especially in regard to the philosophical question, "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"

If you have to ask the question, you still don't understand reality.

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@north,

Quote:

So what when Humans were not aware of the Universe ?

There was also a time when many people didn't know there were other continents and cultures.
Humans also didn't know we are the product of evolution.

We are a very young species based on our evolution.

http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-evolution-timeline-interactive

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@cicerone imposter,

Indubitably.

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@InfraBlue,

yes, and I think it was relevant relative to the idea being expressed about trees, falling and "sound"..

The reason being that there is an opportunity there to further increment the idea (into the differences between "sound" and "noise") in order to better respond to the question. So, perhaps (per the definition I provided) the question is best posed:

If a tree falls in the woods, would a bear **** near it?

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@catbeasy,

HA!

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Ah fer chrice sakes guys, is it really necessary to point out that if you're not around when a tree falls you don't hear it?

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@Leadfoot,

Does it make a sound, though?

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@InfraBlue,

Of course it makes a sound.

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@Leadfoot,

Leadfoot wrote:

Of course it makes a sound.

Agreed.

The tree does make a sound .

Otherwise why would any animal have ears , the ability to HEAR vibrations carried by air . To hear is also a survival faculty.

1 Reply

Quote:

Why does the Universe exist?

The answer to that question isn't known yet. I suggest you delve, dive and burrow into matter and anti-matter and report back.

In the interim, for those wondering about the bear in the forest the answer is that brown rabbits and white rabbits co-exist.

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@north,

Quote:

Otherwise why would any animal have ears

Yeah, but you're just inviting the question - 'What if there were no animals...'

If there were two colliding objects with a dimension as great or greater than a wavelength of sound frequencies, there will be sound. Observers are not required. Which is where I started with CI btw.

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@Leadfoot,

Quote:

there will be sound

Fresco might have something to say about that. Berkeley too. What are sound waves without a perceiver to note they are sound waves?

btw, I think the usefulness of these sorts of questions lies in their ability to make us think about what we think we know. The nature of knowledge, the limits, parameters of our thinking in general, logic as one specific.

In other words, does this "conundrum" represent an actual fact, an artifact of logic or even a cultural (read: human) bias? Its difficult to solve..logically anyway. Our intuition tells us different, but then again our intuition is horribly wrong in certain circumstances..Berkeley's argument, while possibly offensive to our sensibilities and intuition, is not so easy to overcome - at least ontologically (pragmatically, we don't care, I don't think its possible to live in accordance with that type of philosophy - but if we were solely pragmatic, philosophy wouldn't exist - or it would be boring!)

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@catbeasy,

Quote:

What are sound waves without a perceiver to note they are sound waves?

The same thing they are when there is a perceiver.

Presumably there was no one around to see the big bang but it sure made a lot of light.

What I've really been saying from the start is that this question does not have much value in its ability to make us question what we think we know. It's not difficult to solve, it's childishly simple. To belabor this question is a waste of time as amply demonstrated in this sub-thread.

There are so many questions that are better suited to making us ask ourselves what we really know. Like the one posed in the OP.

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@Leadfoot,

Quote:

To belabor this question is a waste of time as amply demonstrated in this sub-thread.

I couldn't agree more. On with the show.

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@Leadfoot,

Quote:

Presumably there was no one around to see the big bang but it sure made a lot of light.

Well, umm, kinda.

The first hydrogen atom supposedly formed after a few hundred thousand years and the first star after more than one hundred million years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_the_universe

1 Reply

@Leadfoot,

Leadfoot wrote:

Quote:
Otherwise why would any animal have ears

Yeah, but you're just inviting the question - 'What if there were no animals...'

If there were two colliding objects with a dimension as great or greater than a wavelength of sound frequencies, there will be sound. Observers are not required. Which is where I started with CI btw.

In a way I was saying the samething .

The basic physics doesn't fail just because we are not at the site of the action that can cause sound waves to happen .

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@TuringEquivalent,

Quote:

Why does the Universe exist?

Because us humans Brought it into existence.

Quote:

why is there a Universe at all?

Same answer as above.

Quote:

So why is the Universe as it is?

Again the same answer as above. It exist in the state as we see it because we have this subjective view of how we see our environment and what ever we see, "we construct what is called logical concepts even though our logic is flawed more often than not.

You can call me an atheist or an agnostic if you would like but I think that the bible got it right when it said, "In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. Nothing came into existent without the word or language as we know it.

1 Reply

@reasoning logic,

reasoning logic wrote:

Quote:
Why does the Universe exist?

Because us humans Brought it into existence.

Quote:
why is there a Universe at all?

Same answer as above.

Quote:
So why is the Universe as it is?

Again the same answer as above. It exist because we have this subjective view of how we see our environment and what ever we see, "we construct what is called logical concepts even though our logic is flawed more often than not.

You can call me an atheist or an agnostic if you would like but I think that the bible had it right when it said in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. Nothing came into existent without the word or language as we know it.

Disagree

How did Humans bring into the existence of the Universe , without understanding any of it 2000yrs ago for example ?

1 Reply

@north,

Quote:

Disagree

How did Humans bring into the existence of the Universe , without understanding any of it 2000yrs ago for example ?

The word universe is a word it is a human concept that we made up just as time is a human concept that we made up. When we discovered that the earth rotates once every 24 hours we are able to construct a concept that we call time. We could also do it many other ways but I am using this as an example.

Time is nothing more than a measurement of elapse of two events using the rotation of the earth or some other objects that move in consistency.

Maybe I am wrong because of my bad memory but wasn't it you who taught me this.

1 Reply

@reasoning logic,

reasoning logic wrote:

Quote:
Disagree

How did Humans bring into the existence of the Universe , without understanding any of it 2000yrs ago for example ?

The word universe is a word it is a human concept that we made up just as time is a human concept that we made up. When we discovered that the earth rotates once every 24 hours we are able to construct a concept that we call time. We could also do it many other ways but I am using this as an example.

Time is nothing more than a measurement of elapse of two events using the rotation of the earth or some other objects that move in consistency.

Maybe I am wrong because of my bad memory but wasn't it you who taught me this.

It could be me , I'm amazed that someone even remembered .

Time is a Human concept . But the Universe is an entirely different thing though.

The Universe is about looking up into the open sky , the stars etc.

How does one imagine stars that you have never seen before ; up until that moment that you looked up ?

2 Replies

Why does the Universe exist?

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