*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).
Your Future Home hosts Baker Machado and Hope King discuss the latest trends in the real estate market. From robots to department store real estate, they cover the stories you need to know.
Eric Harris, president and chief operating officer at Cheddar, joins us to talk about the company's participation in Cycle for Survival, an indoor charity cycling event raising money for rare cancers.
The U.S. Men's Curling Team shocked the world by winning gold at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games last weekend. The team made history by becoming the first American curling team to win gold. Team members Joe Polo, Matt Hamilton, Tyler George, John Shuster, and John Landsteiner join us to talk about their victory.
Jennifer Cunningham, senior editor at Bossip, shares her picks for the 90th annual Academy Awards. The Oscars air this Sunday, March 4 at 8 pm ET.
Nordstrom and Gap release earnings. American Outdoor Brands says sales fell 32.6% year over year. The Dow drops after President Trump announced heavy tariffs on aluminum and steel. Twitter is asking the public to help it evaluate how toxic the social media platform really is
A new business card maker is launching today, and it will help you cut down on waste and making saving your business contacts easier. Convey is not just a digital business card, but a digital-dynamic connection.
In the wake of the Florida High School mass shooting, some Americans are looking for ways to take the issue of gun control into their own hands, or wallets. Todd Scorzafava is a Lead Partner of Wealth Management at Eagle Rock Wealth and he joins Cheddar to explain how investors can manage their funds in a socially-minded manner.
Author Paul Goldberg is taking on something familiar, and turns it upside down in his novel "The Chateau." The book captures a setting that becomes a microcosm of today's current political landscape. Goldberg explains what he hopes readers takeaway.
NBCUniversal is giving its advertising strategy a makeover. The network vowing to reduce its ad load and planning to roll out new ad formats in the third and fourth quarters. Jason Lynch, Senior Editor of Television at AdWeek, was with us to explain why the move is the first of its kind.
Publicists are reluctant to allow their clients to do the traditional red carpet interviews with the E! host, says Variety's Daniel Holloway, the reporter who broke news of sexual harassment allegations against Ryan Seacrest.
