Superheroes, Skyscrapers and Sounds

May 18, 2018

This week a mystery sound took over social media, Batman came out of retirement and Chicago’s

skyline is slated to get some work done. Get the social scoop here:

  • Do you hear what I hear? At LCWA, about 25 percent of our office heard Yanny, while most (75 percent) heard Laurel in the recent internet sound-off. It all started with a sound clip posted to Reddit by  Roland Szabo, an 18-year-old high school student in Lawrenceville, Ga. He said he was working on a school project and recorded the voice from a vocabulary website (which was from the vaculary.com page for “laurel” some will be pleased to find out) playing through the speakers on his computer. People in the room disagreed about what they were hearing, so he posted it to extend the conversation. Then the sound-off really took-off when self-described YouTube “influencer” Cloe Feldman, tweeted it earlier this week. Read more.
  • 400 Lake Shore Drive to re-inSpire site. Chicago’s skyline is slated to get two new additions. On Tuesday, developer Related Midwest unveiled a bold plan for the waterfront site formerly slated for Garrett Kelleher’s Chicago Spire. Designed by One World Trade Center architect David Childs, the new plans for the 2.2-acre site along the Chicago River and Lake Michigan include a south 1,100-foot south tower and a 850-foot north tower featuring residential, retail, event and hotel space. The still-ambitious project is slated to be complete by 2023.  Read more.
  • Two words. Sometimes that’s all you need to make a memorable statement. Michael Keaton made headlines this week for his closing words—I’m Batman—at his Kent State commencement speech. Allegedly he also imparted inspirational words for the students as they head into the real world to start their careers. But who will remember anything, but this closing line?