Yanny and Laurel

Yanny vs. Laurel.

The internet meme that tore up the whole world over a year ago.

I know this whole thing is very old by now, but it came back up in discussion last night, and I recalled that I had wanted to write something about it long ago.  So here you go.  If you have no clue what I am talking about, then go here: https://twitter.com/CloeCouture/status/996218489831473152

In short, someone heard the vocabulary.com audio entry for the word "laurel," but to their ear, it sounded like the recording said the word (?) "yanny."  It went viral via Instagram and then Twitter, and everyone weighed in on which word they heard when they played the clip.  After a while the scientists dug into it and decided it had to do with frequencies in the sound file and either which frequencies your speakers emphasized or which frequencies your ears were attuned to.

The reason it was so fun and polarizing is that people were absolutely certain about the sound they heard - and it seemed unbelievable that someone else could hear something entirely different.  I recall my daughter playing it on a phone for the whole family to hear, and we couldn't agree on what it said.  That is what is wild - through the same speakers, people hear an entirely different thing.

Which is fascinating when you are a music nerd who frequently publishes your opinions on music.  Because there are a ton of times when someone suggests music to me - and I totally respect that person's musical taste - and I can't freaking stand the song.  Or another great example is my wife.  She can't stand certain types of music that absolutely light my fire.  Nothing can make her leave the room (or take over control of the stereo) faster than something hard or with squalling guitars.  And so the truly intriguing thing to consider about that is that she very may well be hearing something entirely different from what I am hearing.  If we can sit side by side over a phone and hear an entirely different word pronounced in the Yanny/Laurel clip, then how can I know what signals her ears are providing her when I am deep in the pleasures of the Queens of the Stone Age?  So interesting to think about.

Now, back to telling you that something sounds great when your ears are telling you it sounds like dogshit! Woohoo!