Is it “laurel,” or is it “yanny?” That’s the question that’s haunted the internet and beyond all week, and there’s no definitive answer. Well, actually, there is, sort of: The confusing audio clip is confirmed to be of a person saying the word “laurel,” and yet, due to some sonic weirdness, a good amount of people are still legitimately hearing “yanny.”
It seemed for a minute that it was time to move on from this debate. We’ve all had our fun, the meme made its way to talk shows and has been turned into EDM remixes, and there’s even a new version of the aural illusion already, via “brainstorm vs. green needle.” It turns out, however, that we’re not done with yanny/laurel just yet, as the meme has now been made into an optical illusion.
LAUREL OR YANNY? Have you heard the polarizing audio clip – let me know what team you're on in the comments – and what name you see in my lettering. #teamyanny pic.twitter.com/vj3gPeT87g
— Ariadne Remoundakis (@AriadneRem) May 16, 2018
An image created by Ariadne Remoundakis (which blew up thanks to a post on the PenmanshipPorn subreddit) shows a word written in fancy cursive, and the caption asks the question: Is it “laurel,” or is it “yanny”? Thanks to calligraphic flourishes and the relatively similar construction of the two words, the person who made this image has crafted a continuation of what was already a heated debate.
The difference with this one, though, it seems, is that you have more choice over how it’s perceived. I personally am able to see it as either “laurel” or “yanny” just by changing my mental approach, and I imagine that’s the case for most of you as well.
What do you see? Also, what did you hear in the original yanny/laurel illusion? Let us know how much your brain hurts down in the comments!
Featured image: Warner Bros
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