*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).
Play Ball! Today is Major League Baseball's opening day. President Trump orders the deployment of federal law enforcement agents to more U.S. cities. Tesla's stock is up 280% this year. And Kim Kardashian West has broken her silence on her husband's recent public comments.
The poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that only about 1 in 10 Americans say daycare centers, preschools and K-12 schools should start the school year like any other.
Sneakermakers, Jesse Tran and Son Chu created the sneaker line, Rens, where products are made from recycled coffee grounds.
Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Wednesday, July 22, 2020.
As the coronavirus pandemic drags on, a new poll from NORC at the University of Chicago finds it's having different effects on Americans’ economic well-being.
Oxford University announced that its vaccine trial with AstraZeneca is showing promising results. Congress is back in session and lawmakers are debating another stimulus package. What we know so far on the shooting of Judge Esther Salas's family. And SNL could be returning to the studio in the fall.
Former Education Secretary Margaret Spellings talks about the chaos around the issues of reopening schools amid the pandemic.
Hundreds of workers are rallying outside the Trump International Hotel in Manhattan and the Massachusetts Statehouse to protest systemic racism and economic inequality.
No one can go to concerts, so it seems they've decided to make their own music. Searches for and purchases of musical instruments and music editing software have been increasing during the coronavirus crisis.
The Amal, or Hope, orbiter is the Arab world’s first interplanetary mission.
