*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).
The bitter midterm election season is coming down ー as it always does ー to who turns out to vote. With control of both chambers of Congress and dozens of statehouses up for grabs on Tuesday, and a polarizing president at the center of it all, the 2018 midterm election will be seen as one of the most consequential in modern U.S. history.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
Robin Koval, CEO and president of the Truth Initiative, believes that until government effectively regulates the sale of e-cigarettes, teenagers will continue to get addicted to nicotine. And that makes popular vape brands like JUUL no different from Big Tobacco, in her mind.
Danny Meyer is known as a visionary in the restaurant business, but his latest moonshot has nothing to do with food ー he wants to make voting cool. Meyer is executing his vision by giving all 2,500 employees of his Union Square Hospitality Group restaurant empire three hours of paid time off Tuesday to go to the polls.
Lime, the popular electric scooter company, is offering its users two free rides on Election Day. Emily Warren, senior director of policy and public affairs at Lime, said the mobility provider wants to reduce the transportation barriers that make it hard to vote.
Dan Sanborn, senior vice president of culture and partnerships at Diageo, spoke with Cheddar about the collaboration between Diageo's top-selling scotch brand, Johnnie Walker, and HBO's award-winning series "Game of Thrones."
Anthony Scaramucci said Donald Trump's divisive language on immigration is a narrow strategy to turn out his blue-collar base in this week's midterm elections, but whether it will work remains to be seen. "He's tapping on the hot buttons of his base," said the former White House Director of Communications. "We're going to have to see if it makes sense or not." Scaramucci discussed President Trump's campaign strategy leading into the midterm elections with Cheddar on Monday, along with his new book, "Trump, the Blue-Collar President."
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
Orangetheory Fitness may have the signature buzz of a workout fad, but CEO Dave Long has a plan to ensure the longevity of the fitness franchise ー and of its members. His idea? Data.
Netflix's "Roma" is getting its theatrical release this month, and will hit the streaming platform in December. Julian Roman, correspondent for Movieweb, said Netflix is paying up to make Oscar-contending films.
For full interview, [click here] (https://cms.cheddar.com/videos/VmlkZW8tMjYwNDY=).
