Bob Anderson, age 11, of Pfafftown, North Carolina, for his question:

  Is it true that trees fall without a sound in a deserted forest?     

Certain experts have spread this bit of gossip to make themselves sound clever. No really clever person wastes time on such unnecessary gambits, and this one ,just happens to be quite untrue. If you oversleep,'. you will not be present to see the sun rise tomorrow. But rise it will, whether your eyes see the event or not. The same idea Rpplies to sounds and noises that occur beyond the range of your hearing. The sound of a thousand bands would deafen your ears. But around the world at this moment, at least that many bands are playing. Somebody with a very small mind inside a very big head might insist that the bands out of his hearing are silent. But any sensible young scholar would question, this notion, naturally.     

Andy is unable to discover who started this notion that a tree makes no sound when there are no human ears within range to hear it falling. If you find him, please announce that Andy says h? needs a lesson or two in the science of physics. Sound is a vibrating force created by moving objects colliding with solids, liquids and gaseous air. The vibrations vibrate on and on until they use up all the energy that dtarted them. Within range of this activity, human ears may or may not hear the sound vibrations as sounds. That falling tree creates the same thudding disturbance whether human or animal ears are around or not.