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    'Yanny' Or 'Laurel'? Why People Hear Different Things In That Viral Clip

    We consulted experts on how human brains perceive sound. The poor quality of the audio file can be blamed for the different ways our brains perceive it. What we expect to hear also matters.
    by Merrit Kennedy May 16, 2018 3 minutes
    The debate over whether an audio clip says "yanny" or "laurel" is tearing the Internet apart.

    Updated at 11 p.m. ET

    If you are reading this, you are likely one of the more than 14 million people who vehemently believe that this audio clip is saying either the word "yanny" or the word "laurel."

    If you haven't heard it yet, take a listen:

    The short audio clip has sharply divided the Internet since it was posted on Twitter by Cloe Feldman on Monday. Why would people hear two totally different words?

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