*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).
Experts in England have reconstructed the face of a teenage girl who lived over 1,000 years ago.
In the latest Cheddar Feed, where we highlight some of the stories spotlighted on our social media, a 103-year-old Maine woman continues to lobster trap with family while an estimated 7.5 million Baby Shark products were recalled after several reports of injuries.
Taylor Swift performed her 'Dear John' song for the first time in years and pleaded to fans to stop cyberbullying as the song is long believed to be about her ex-beau, singer John Mayer.
Musical legend Elton John captivated audiences at the Glastonbury festival in what he said could be his last concert in England.
Mrs. Kasha Davis, star of "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars," which recently kicked off its eighth season, spoke with Cheddar News about her time on the show, what she does outside of her program and how important it is for her to help children stay inclusive.
Legendary rapper Busta Rhymes was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award and musical icon Patti LaBelle powered through a mishap while honoring the late Tina Turner.
Thousands gathered to attend New York City's annual Pride parade.
Hikers have found human remains in a Southern California mountain area where actor Julian Sands disappeared five months ago.
Thousands of effusive marchers danced to club music in New York City streets Sunday as bubbles and confetti rained down, and fellow revelers from Toronto to San Francisco cheered through Pride Month's grand crescendo.
The 2023 BET Awards celebrated 50 years of hip-hop with tributes to the genre’s earliest voices, late legends, and new talent during a show packed with spectacular performances that consistently felt like a party.
