Someone must be able to come up with something: If a tree fell in a forest and nobody was around, would it make a noise?
I have a theory on this.

Capuchin

Depends what you regard as a noise.

If you regard physical pressure waves moving through the air, then yes.

If you regard the above phenomenon hitting a human's eardrums and producing a signal in the brain, then no.

CaptainRich

I believe the answer to this question is "No." If you think about the word noise, it is more subjective than if you asked if the tree falling made a sound. Yes, the tree falling would definitely make sound, but if nobody heard it, the sound couldn't be classified as noise.
Now, about that chicken-egg thing...

Capuchin

We had a thread bout the chicken egg thing in the biology forum. It was determined that from an evolutionary point of view, the egg came first.

carcrashexpert

I agree - it's not as "deep" a question as people make it out to be. What's a "sound"? Is it the pressure wave, or is it the psychological phenomenon of it being processed by a brain? If it's the pressure wave, then, yes, the tree does make a sound. If it's the perception of the pressure wave, then no, it doesn't.

Funny how a properly-phrased question almost always answers itself, huh?

Capuchin

It's the ambiguity of the definition of sound that makes it seem profound

carcrashexpert

"Ambiguity = profundity"?

Capuchin

Well, more that average joe doesnt realise the ambiguity

CaptainRich

If a man speaks in that same forest and no woman is around to hear, is he still wrong?

Capuchin

Men are never wrong, but sometimes they let the woman think they are in order to maintain balance ;p