General Chat / Is there a 'perfect crime'?

I just wondered... Is there a crime that is perfect.
If there is one nobody will know, cos if somebody knows about it... it wouldnt be perfect, would it?
Are there any opinions about that or do somebody knows more?
Hope there will be a nice discussion with the site-philosophers.
egg

If a tree falls in the forest with nobody to hear it, does it make noise?

keke

There is.

Kill someone with an icicle. No fingerprints. And no evidence after a bit.

If a tree falls in the forest with nobody to hear it, does it make noise?

keke

That has always struck me as a ridiculous question. Of course there's noise. Just no-one hears it. I don't see the argument against this at all?

If a tree falls in the forest with nobody to hear it, does it make noise?

keke

That has always struck me as a ridiculous question. Of course there's noise. Just no-one hears it. I don't see the argument against this at all?

I've stayed up late and drunk with my friends discussing this one. The argument against is that sound is only sound because it is being heard by someone or something. Otherwise it's just vibrating air. There are certain frequencies of vibrating air that our ears can recognize as sound, but there are many frequencies that we cannot hear. Therefore sound is defined by the act of hearing. If there are no ears (of any kind) within the range of the vibrating air, it is just vibrating air.

As far as the crime question is concerned, it's completely ambiguous. What's a crime? A crime against another person (murder)? A crime against the state (tax evasion)? A crime against humanity (genocide)? A crime against God (sin)? A fashion crime (suspenders & a belt)?

And what makes it perfect? You get away with it? There are no victims? There are the maximum numbers of victims? It's pretty to look at?

Stupid question. But the tree in the woods thing, that's another story...

If no-one hears it, how can you be absolutely sure that it makes a noise?

If you put a cat in a box and close the lid, how can you know that the cat is still in there? (Notwithstanding any faint mewling sounds...)

Kill someone with an icicle.  No fingerprints.  And no evidence after a bit. 

What? An icicle? I could understand an ice pick - but an icicle. Wow, that's brilliant, Corky.

Because why wouldn't it? It does every other time.

Tree 1: Hey, I think I'm gonna fall over tomorrow.
Tree 2: Dude, there's nobody around. Do it with out making any sound.
Tree 1: Yeah, it would really mess with their heads

If there's trees in the forest, and nobody's around to hear them, how do we know they don't walk around and talk and grill burgers?

If there's trees in the forest, and nobody's around to hear them, how do we know they don't walk around and talk and grill burgers?

I'm tempted to say 'precisely'.

Trees can't move, they're not built to move

Trees don't move...they can't move. If they fall they make a sound. Simple Science there, folks.

Trees don't move...they can't move. If they fall they make a sound. Simple Science there, folks.

the fact is how would you know it made a sound? nothing is impossible

It made a sound because it fell, therefore hitting the ground or some other natural material, and due to this vibrations occur, thus a sound is created.

Hehe but you're basing this on the assumption that it happens the same way when you can hear it as it does when you can't.

Well...why wouldn't it happen in the same way if there was nobody to hear it?

w/ the icicle - what about dna? and dont say gloves; where are you gonna get rid of them. And don't say fire either because that's what the peeps down at forensics do.

Heck, I could blast someone in a dark alley and get away with it. How would the police find me?

^ Cops can conceivably trace the bullet, trace the guns, follow every lead, find where it was bought, and trace to you eventually.

Not that it'd be easy.

w/ the icicle - what about dna?  and dont say gloves; where are you gonna get rid of them.  And don't say fire either because that's what the peeps down at forensics do.

What DNA? You get THEIR DNA on it, fine... but what about yours? Unless you're dumb enough to cut yourself and leave blood, they're not gonna find your DNA. You don't even need gloves... fingerprints aren't left on water.

There is no perfect crime.

GIL GRISSOM WILL FIND YOU!

There is.

Kill someone with an icicle.  No fingerprints.  And no evidence after a bit. 

Brilliant, just brilliant.