h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

BUT...

Sound is our ear/brain's interpretation of the manifestation of energy which you describe so accurately. Without the presence of the ear, there is just moving waves through air.

Or wind, to you and I.

B

Yeah, good point.

Now I'm confused again.

Well, the argument goes that if something can't be perceived (either by direct or indirect means) then it doesn't physically exist. The counter argument is that if something is proved by theory for instance it exists as a logical conclusion of thought process and therefore exists in it's own way. Additionally pure energy (say photons for example which I believe have never been conclusively proved to have Newtonian physical presence but do interact with physical matter) can not actually be easily proved to have physical existence but through their interactions with other energy and matter prove to have existence. In fact one dictionary definition describes as obsolete the description of existence as; "reality as opposed to appearance". This is all from first year physics and and logic courses so I'm sure there are more qualified researchers here to explain it.

manifestations of energy yes -bats and dogs hear what we can"t

I'm afraid that the science point has been missed here. Sound does not just happen of the moment; it is said that the voice of the ancient Roman orators still echo and reverbrate around today. Like all other energies, it can neither be created or destroyed.

The science point is that sound is vibration that travels through a medium (normally air, of course). Yes, it is the ears that 'translates' the effect for our brains, and a circuit that translates the sound for recording, but the sound has to 'be there' first.

The sound happens, regardless of any sensing or recording device, as the definition only calls for vibration and medium. Everything else is mere happenstance.