Viral audio clip that sounds like either 'green needle' or 'brainstorm' leaves TikTok listeners astounded - so, which one do YOU hear?
An audio clip that can be heard as two different words has left social media users astounded.
The sound, which first went viral in 2018 and has now resurfaced on TikTok, can be heard as either the phrase 'green needle' or the word 'brainstorm'.
The clip is played while both words are flashed up on screen. The one the individual hears is said to change depending on which word is being read on screen and therefore being thought about.
It was posted in a clip by Emily Sophie, thought to be based in Wales, earlier this week and has since been liked more than 112,000 times, as well as being shared widely across Twitter.
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Emily Sophie's TikTok video (pictured) has caused a frenzy online after listeners heard two different words - depending on which they were thinking about - from the same audio
The short sound teaser, which first surfaced in 2018 and is going viral again, sees people (like those pictured above) hearing one of two phrases: 'brainstorm' or 'green needle'
The science behind it! How it's possible you can switch between 'green needle' and 'brainstorm'
While some listeners are struggling to hear both the words, many successfully pick up 'green needle' and then 'brainstorm'.
University College London Professor Valerie Hazan told the Huffington Post last year when the phenomenon first surfaced that people's hearing and brain function may well 'latch on' to different sounds.
She said: 'The reason that a person can see their perception switch without explanation may also mean that our ears and brain have latched on to the other acoustic pattern than the one they were previously latching on to.'
It's previously been confirmed that the audio actually says brainstorm. Listeners said they were baffled by the trick, which asks them to think of one of the words before the audio seemingly changes to reflect their choice.
In her clip, Emily asks viewers to listen to the same audio twice, once while looking at a caption reading 'brainstorm' and again while looking at the word 'green needle'.
'You will only hear the word you're reading,' her third caption suggests.
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Shocked by the illusion, one person wrote: 'Tried a few times. Was blown away until I read green needle but heard brainstorm. So now I don't know if I'm too clever for it or what. You?'
Another said: 'It's got me questioning how I interpret almost anything that people say to me, do I just hear what I want to hear?'
A third individual added: 'You can also get it to say "brain needle" too. This is messed-up.'
It was posted in a clip by Emily, thought to be based in Wales, earlier this week and has since been liked more than 112,000 times, as well as being shared widely across Twitter, with the above reaction
The clip even attracted the attention of several well-known faces including actor and comedian Ricky Gervais, who retweeted the footage alongside the caption: 'It also works if you close your eyes and just think of the one you want to hear.'
Despite the widespread puzzlement, this isn't the first time the audio trick has been shared online.
It appeared in a 2018 Reddit post, with that version showcasing a toy that when activated seemed to say either of the two words.
In her clip (pictured), Emily asks viewers to listen to the same audio twice, once while looking at a caption reading 'brainstorm' and again while looking at the word 'green needle'
It was previously confirmed that the audio actually says brainstorm.
Professor Valerie Hazan a speech, hearing and phonetic sciences expert from University College London, told the Huffington Post last year that the reason behind the success of the trick is that our minds can 'latch on' to the second perceived acoustic pattern.
'The reason that a person can see their perception switch without explanation may also mean that our ears and brain have latched on to the other acoustic pattern than the one they were previously latching on to,' she explained.
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