Goin' koan

[kickaha]

If a ninja and a mime get into a fight in the forest, and there's no one around to not hear them, do they make a sound?

Comments

[georgmi.livejournal.com]

No around what?

[kickaha.livejournal.com]

Sneaky ninjas, stealing my words...

[georgmi.livejournal.com]

I've always been bothered by this particular poser--instead of wondering about the philosophical question, I get bogged down in the fact that the answer is TRIVIALLY OBVIOUS once you have a definition of the word "sound", and instead of arguing back and forth between "yes" and "no," all the student needs to do is ask a simple clarifying question.

[badger.livejournal.com]

Impact makes sound. Unless they're both deaf, *they're* there to hear the hits.

[flinx.livejournal.com]

If a ninja kills a mime in the forest, is it a shame that there is no one present to applaud?

[night-monkey.livejournal.com]

yeah, especially ninja impacts.

[night-monkey.livejournal.com]

Helen Keller shows up and kicks major ass, Kill Bill-style.

[greenteablues.livejournal.com]

NON-PEDANTIC:

No, the ninja still kills the mime silently using a low-impact technique.
I'll show you sometime.

PEDANTIC:

What is the sound of Schrodinger's cat dying?