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A sound is by definition something heard by someone. An unobserved universe doesn’t make sense, trying to conceptualise one would be like arguing about what colour a ganabreeshlach is.

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Does a dog-whistle not make an ultrasound? There are many examples and applications where sound has very legitimate but inaudible effects. Perhaps this definition has contenders? Seems to me there are audible and inaudible sounds. And since definitions tend to follow the masses regardless of logic or sensibility, "sound" probably should also mean "appear", as it's become an idiomatic (non literal) term you'll see peppered throughout Hackernews and elsewhere, e.g. "this sounds good; this sounds reasonable;" etc, used to describe one's interpretation of texts, which sans synesthesia, shouldn't be audible.

The original riddle about the tree in a forest is intended to illustrate the difference between philosophical idealism and materialism.

A dog whistle depends on the concepts of dogs and whistles, which don’t exist outwith the human semantic framework.

Historically, science has been heavily materialist but quantum physics has brought idealism back to the table.

Another thought experiment is 2 people at opposite ends of a room that contains a total vacuum. Ignoring breathing difficulties, if one spoke to the other, would he make a sound?

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