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The internet just can't get enough of 'Yanny or Laurel' debate

We haven't been this divided since #TheDress.

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Jason Parker Senior Editor / Reviews - Software
Jason Parker has been at CNET for nearly 15 years. He is the senior editor in charge of iOS software and has become an expert reviewer of the software that runs on each new Apple device. He now spends most of his time covering Apple iOS releases and third-party apps.
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Jason Parker
2 min read

Somehow the Yanny or Laurel debate continues on as more people hear the robotic voice that quickly went viral a couple days ago. There are so many theories for why people hear one or the other based on how good your hearing is, whether your bass is turned up or even how old you are. Whatever you hear, you have to admit it's pretty amazing how stuff like this can grab the world's attention with the power of the Internet.

A lot like the famous dress that divided the world over whether it was blue and black or white and gold, the short Yanny vs. Laurel audio clip has gone wildly viral, with the entire internet arguing over what's said. Even though we now know the origin of the famous clip, the debate rages on.

In this video, we aimed to get to the science behind it and breaks down why people might hear one or the other:

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Watch this: Yanny or Laurel? Both are right!

There's even a tool posted by The New York Times that lets you listen to the original audio through different filters so you can hear both. 

Whatever you hear, all you need to do is jump on Twitter to see some of the hilarious reactions. Even celebrities, politicians, sports teams and brands are chiming in with what they hear. While scientists debate over why we're all hearing different things from the same audio clip, check out how the rest of the internet is weighing in.

Some brands also showed up to weigh in, but some were more inclined to answer than others:

Sports teams also got in on the fun:

Even Sesame Street joined in:

But some of the best comedy (and judgments) came from Twitter users like you and me:

Then, of course, are the people who want nothing to do with the whole Yanny vs. Laurel debate now that everyone is talking about it. We get it internet hipsters, you're too cool to take part in the fun:

Just so you know, even after all the debate, I can hear both Yanny and Laurel depending on which word I'm focusing on. Who knows what that means, but that's where I stand on what is clearly the most pressing issue of our time.

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