*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).
A cannabis shortage means that companies and resources should be focused on medicinal uses first, before turning to recreational, says Michael Gorenstein, CEO of Cronos Group. His firm became the first cannabis company to list on U.S. markets on Tuesday.
The new "RestaurantHer" initiative promotes restaurants that have female owners or executive chefs, says Jessica Burns, Grubhub's Senior Director of Brand Marketing.
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging AG Jeff Sessions and the DEA on marijuana's classification of a Schedule I drug. The ruling marks a defeat for the plaintiffs who include a 12-year-old girl who treats her epilepsy with medical marijuana, a former professional football player, and a former U.S. Army Combat Veteran. An attorney on the case, and one of the plaintiffs share their reaction to the judges decision.
Former NBA star Al Harrington is looking to become the next marijuana mogul. He is taking on this emerging market with the introduction of his own line of CBD products that will roll out this summer. Harrington explains how marijuana can impact the pro-sports arena.
Since making his first custom car over 25 years ago, Doug DeBerti has made a name for himself in the auto world. Now his son is taking the wheel as he races towards a professional driving career. It's all chronicled in the new Discovery series "Twin Turbos."
"Black Panther's" second weekend in theaters proved its box-office success isn't slowing down anytime soon. MovieWeb's Ryan J. Downey joins Cheddar to discuss just how much money the mega hit will make before it's all said and done.
Ryan Seacrest is facing new sexual misconduct allegations from his former E! stylist. YourTango's Rebecca Stokes joins Cheddar to detail how the claims differ from the ones he denied over the past few months.
Steven Overly, tech reporter for Politico, discusses the United States' Supreme Court case against Microsoft. The case could have a global impact on email security.
Andy Tian, co-founder and CEO of Asia Innovations Group, discusses the "Forever Rose," the most valuable piece of virtual artwork in the world. The piece was purchased by 10 investors for $100,000 each using cryptocurrency.
Sara Fischer, media reporter for Axios, talks about Comcast's $31 billion bid for UK broadcaster Sky. Fox has offered $15 billion for the part of Sky that it doesn't already own.
