“Brainstorm vs. Green Needle” is the new “Yanny vs. Laurel,” but it has a mind-blowing twist
Already tired of the great Yanny vs. Laurel debate? Well, we have good news and bad news. The good news is, Yanny vs. Laurel is officially starting to vanish from your news feed. The bad news is, it’s because there’s a new aural illusion in town that’s making everyone go bonkers all over again. But Brainstorm vs. Green Needle is extra strange.
Unlike with Yanny vs. Laurel, with Brainstorm vs. Green Needle, you can actually control what you hear. When you first listen to the clip, either “Brainstorm” or “Green Needle” will come to you first. But the second you think about the other option, that’s the one that you’ll hear. Surely you’re throwing your hands up in disbelief, but trust us on this — for most people, it really works.
The original clip is from a 2014 YouTube video uploaded by user DosmRider. The video is a review of the Ben 10 Alien Force Ultimate Omnitrix toy set. But when Tomango uploaded a clip to Twitter on May 17th — over four years later — it quickly went viral. We bet DosmRider had no idea that his review would become a viral sensation.
Give Brainstorm vs. Green Needle a listen.
We have a feeling it’ll be circulating around your office all day.
You can hear "Brainstorm" or "Green Needle" based on whichever one you think about.
Pure black magic. We're well past 'Yanny' and 'Laurel'! pic.twitter.com/mgtss1lrtO
— Tomango (@tomangoUK) May 17, 2018
As expected, the tweet blew up, and everyone rushed in to give their opinions. Some were hilarious.
I heard it in the order A-B-B-A by specifically thinking of either the first or the second phrase in that same order. Also, now I have Dancing Queen stuck in my head and that’s just a bonus.
— Dayv (niɒϱɒ ɘboɔinU ϱniƨuƨim) (@dayv) May 17, 2018
And some were worrisome, since not everyone could hear both.
I hear “brain needle” need more coffee
— Brooke Binkowski (@brooklynmarie) May 17, 2018
Others got right to the point.
I DON'T LIKE THIS
— Skelesaurus Wrecks (@the__kein) May 17, 2018
If you can’t use your mind to control whether you hear Brainstorm or Green Needle, don’t worry. You’re probably not alone. If Yanny and Laurel taught us anything, it’s that we all process things a little differently.