By Eric M. and Jackson K.
The debate started when Georgia student Katie Hetzel had the word “laurel” on her vocabulary list. She visited dictionary.com to find the definition of the word and played the audio clip.
She posted this on social media, and another student at her school reposted it, and from there, the audio clip went viral.
According to a Twitter poll, 47% of people hear “Yanny,” while the other 53% hear “Laurel.” This result without a definitive answer is rather unsatisfying.
This debate is remarkably similar to the white and gold versus blue and black dress debate, where some people saw the former combination of colors, while others could only view the latter. People debated about the picture until the company who manufactured the dress confirmed that it was actually blue and black.
The “Yanny” and “Laurel” debate that is dividing the nation is just like that debate that occurred three years ago, except instead of arguing about color, now it is about sound.
What could be the next viral argument? Something about the other senses: taste, touch, or smell? In this world where weird and random things can go viral, anything is possible.