this post was submitted on 27 Nov 2023
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[–] Honytawk 14 points 11 months ago (4 children)

What is sound if not vibrations in the air?

[–] [email protected] 12 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It's an ontological argument. OP is creating a categorical distinction where "sound" is the cognitive process by which pressure waves are perceived, eg as information. I think it's a fairly common distinction to make, but it is also kind of unsatisfying is the sense that it feels a bit like linguistic nihilism.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

linguistic nihilism

i had a sudden vision of winning fediverse bingo with this entry being called

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

We're on social media, linguistic nihilism is the free square.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Is tinnitus a sound?

Is bone conduction sound?

Are the signals a cochlear implant produce sound?

Sound is a perception. Sound waves are what can generate that perception. But sound doesn't always require soundwaves, so there is a difference.

It's very much a "dancing on the head of a pin" distinction, but the baseline joke also requires it.

[–] Honytawk 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Yes, those all are sounds.

From Wikipedia:

Tinnitus is a variety of sound that is heard when no corresponding external sound is present.

Should have been more distinct. Sounds are just vibration, they don't need to go through air.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

But neither tinnitus or cochlear implants have any vibration associated. If they are sounds then sounds are more than just vibrations. At the same time, not all vibrations are sounds.

The argument is that sound is part of our internal processing of sensations. If there is no brain to perceive it, is it a sound, or just a vibration in the air?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

The brains interpretation of the pressure waves beating against the eardrum.