*By Alisha Haridasani*
It’s the most divisive question since the blue and black dress (or was it white and gold?!): Do you hear Yanny or Laurel?
Technically, the answer is "Laurel." But some people swear it's "Yanny."
The question, which is ripping the internet apart, revolves around an audio clip [reportedly](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/15/science/yanny-laurel.html) posted on Reddit by a student who found it on a vocabulary website when researching a school project under the word "laurel." The clip went viral, leaving many listeners questioning what they heard ー and maybe their sanity.
The discrepancy in what people hear could be due to circumstance, said Brad Story, professor of speech, language, and hearing at the University of Arizona.
“It really is going to depend on the information that you have in terms of your bias toward listening to it at that moment in time," said Story. "That’s what we call ‘top-down information’ ー trying to make sense of any kind of pattern that's present.”
The two words share very similar acoustic characteristics that your brain could selectively hear it one way or the other, he said.
The bass, frequency, and volume of the audio clip can also influence what someone hears. Some people posted videos on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/JFLivesay/status/996585941241401346) where the audio levels were adjusted, changing how the clip could be heard.
So, whatever the *technical* answer to the question is, in reality, it can be both.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/yanny-vs-laurel).
Candace Parker grew up playing video games and now she’ll be the first female basketball player on the cover of one.
Cheddar's Michelle Castillo spoke with Rink Havoc, a 19-person roller squad that meets several times a week in New Jersey to learn more about how the activity connected the Black community.
Amazon founder and soon-to-be-space traveler Jeff Bezos is donating $200 million to the Smithsonian Institution to boost its National Air and Space Museum.
Wildfires, climate change, drug ODs and Delta. The news is not all depressing, though: Britney Spears got a big win in her conservatorship saga!
Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer, Cory Booker, and Ron Wyden unveiled the draft of a historic cannabis decriminalization bill on Wednesday, more than five months after originally announcing it.
After 24 years of heartache and searching, a Chinese couple was reunited with their son who was abducted as a toddler outside their front gate.
France calls on citizens to get vaccinated to save the economy, Biden blasts Republicans on voting restrictions and why used cars are so expensive right now.
“The Crown” tied with “The Mandalorian” for the most Emmy nominations Tuesday, 24 each, but the Marvel universe also got bragging rights with runner-up “WandaVision.”
Officials in Minnesota say they’re finding more giant goldfish in waterways, prompting a plea to citizens to stop illegally dumping their unwanted fish into ponds and lakes.
Jill and Carlo discuss the latest setback for the Johnson & Johnson shot as Pfizer asks for booster approval. What's behind the turmoil in Cuba and the role of the U.S. embargo. Plus, it's Shohei Ohtani night at the MLB All-Star Game.
