*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).
Olympic Gold Medal-winning swimmer Dana Vollmer talks about what's going through athletes' minds as they prepare for the Games.
Cheddar's Brad Smith heads to Tough Mudder HQ in Brooklyn to work out with TMHQ senior manager, Chris Maltbie. Tough Mudder is announcing new locations of its fitness studio franchise, with Tough Mudder Bootcamp locations in Massachusetts, Nevada, and Texas.
After two straight days of sell-offs, the major indexes waffled on Wall Street Tuesday. Space X's Falcon Heavy launched into space Tuesday afternoon. Disney, Chipotle and Snap report earnings.
The sport of bodybuilding has changed dramatically from the days of Arnold Schwartznager. Generation Iron has been taking fans and viewers through the experience and giving viewers and consumers a first-hand look. Now, the franchise is working on a third installment, "Generation Iron 3."
GalaPro is bringing technology to the theater space. The company has launched a mobile app that does closed-captioning from any phone in the theater and is officially in the Shubert Theaters in NYC.
Recreational marijuana has been legal in California since January 1 and since then cannabis stores like MedMen in West Hollywood have been a significant bump in sales and foot traffic. Alyssa Julya Smith visited the MedMen location in West Hollywood one month after the store first started selling recreational marijuana.
Cheddar stops by Esquivel shoes in Southern California to learn about the intricate 100-step process involved in making some of the most in-demand shoes for Hollywood's elite. George Esquivel is at the center of it all, and takes Alyssa Julya Smith on a tour of his warehouse, where each shoe is handcrafted to perfection.
Footwear designer George Esquivel handcrafts off-the-court shoes for the NBA's most stylish players, as well as some of the biggest A-listers in Hollywood. Alyssa Julya Smith visits the shoe warehouse in Buena Park, California to find out more about these handcrafted shoes.
This Changes Things: Advice for the executives and leaders of tomorrow, brought to you by American Express OPEN. On Between Bells: Falcon Heavy launch, Olympic preview, and more. With Bacardi, FHM, and Entrepreneur.
Chef JJ Johnson of restaurants Chefs Club and The Cecil is releasing his first-ever cookbook. "Between Harlem and Heaven" highlights the flavors of the African diaspora.
