If Twitter were any indication, there are now two types of people in this world — those who hear “Yanny” and those who hear “Laurel.”
The social media platform shared an audio clip that has been bugging people everywhere. The brief audio was supposedly a computer-generated voice who said a name that may be interpreted in two ways.
Is it #Yanny or #Laurel? Listen to the video to hear the recording. STORY: https://t.co/xX5rjo3dkQ pic.twitter.com/OPGW3EVzom
— ABC15 Arizona (@abc15) May 15, 2018
Others stated that they heard “Yanny” while there were those who heard “Laurel.” There were also others who claimed that they heard both names.
The audio has since garnered more than 5,000 likes as of press time.
Some offered their theories on why others hear the audio differently.
“The Verge” journalist Adi Robertson shared that it might be because of the difference in hearing among adults and children.
Secret police go door to door administering the Yanny/Laurel Test to potential age offenders, sniffing out those who have thwarted lastday with surgical precision. https://t.co/J5yqJt7BQ7 pic.twitter.com/5WvabZNoJf
— Adi Robertson (@thedextriarchy) May 15, 2018
Vox explained through a Reddit user that “what you hear depends on the amount of bass that’s being produced from the device you’re listening on.”
They noted that the audio can be digitally manipulated by the person, along with its pitch range (whether it is listened in a low or a high pitch).
It’s like the ‘dress’ episode again
This is not the first time that the internet was divided over such a seemingly simple thing.
In 2015, a certain dress shook people and made them question its color.
Others stated that it was a combination of blue-and-black while others said that it was white-and-gold.
What’s going on with this dress then? #confusing ?White&gold, or, black&blue?? pic.twitter.com/GOlnIyW1m8
— Reece E. ? (@ReeceEasthope) February 27, 2015
This dress is black & blue. How anyone sees white & gold I’ll never know. #confusing pic.twitter.com/mXt1ckYYy4
— kay x (@kaycookexx) February 27, 2015
The Independent reported that it was an effect of how people’s eyes process light.
It has even bothered some celebrities, like Taylor Swift who thought it was blue-and-black and Anna Kendrick, who thought it was in white-and-gold.