Following in the tradition of The Dress—2015’s hottest internet debate, which I just learned has its own Wikipedia page—people can’t stop arguing over whether the robot man in the clip above is saying “yanny” or “laurel.”
I listened to it first through the built-in speaker on my phone and heard yanny. Then I listened later through a pair of headphones and heard laurel, which made me irrationally angry. But it turns out there’s a very easy explanation. What you hear is based on the bass levels, so if your speakers or headphones have better bass, you’re more likely to hear laurel.