I don’t want to trigger anyone’s FOMO here but right now, at this very moment, somewhere in the world, something cool is happening.
If you’re really lucky, one of those cool things is happening in your vicinity. But if that isn’t the case, these pics of cool happenings should at least serve as a consolation prize.
Far from home.
This pic shows astronaut Bruce McCandless as he hovers far away from safety without a tether, in near-Earth orbit. NASA doesn’t do this kind of high-risk spacewalk anymore.
New threads.
This looks kind of gory but it’s actually a totally normal part of the life cycle for animals with antlers. This caribou is merely shedding off the velvet from its antlers.
An eye to the future.
This unique tree formation is the result of a lumber production method practiced in Japan for centuries. Known as daisugi, it allows trees to be grown for lumber while preserving some trees underneath.
A splash of color.
This interesting cloud, spotted from a balcony in India, shows a shimmery rainbow pattern on the surface of the cloud.
Seeing a rainbow isn’t that uncommon, but seeing a rainbow cloud certainly is.
Li’l sprout.
These sunflowers are eking out an existence in the cracks of a sidewalk. You can see where they came from, too, as a larger cluster of sunflowers is a few feet behind them.
Preserved in time.
The toddler who made this footprint is long gone but the footprint has remained for about two thousand years. Archaeologists found this tile in Roman ruins.
Unique selfie.
What looks like the world’s most amazing selfie is actually the last pic that will ever be taken with this camera because I have no doubt the little monkey is about to steal it.
Still life.
This is a cantaloupe that’s been left in a fridge for months on end. It’s less gross and more…deflated than I would have imagined.
I’m just glad I can’t smell photographs.
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New and improved.
This bag contains white blood cells, which have been removed from the host body and genetically modified in an effort to cure cancer. The process is known as t-cell immunotherapy.
Sunny days ahead.
This car is driving into an area full of sunny skies and puffy white clouds. The area it’s leaving, on the other hand, is extremely dark and stormy looking.
DIY lava lamp.
Weird things can happen when you combine different kinds of soap in the same container. Case in point: the green soap and the white soap have intermingled in a way that makes things look like a lava lamp.
Walking on water.
If you have a swimming pool and live in the Southwest, this may be a familiar sight but it’s still pretty cool for the rest of us.
A tiny triumph.
It’s hard to know what you’re looking at here so here’s an explanation: That tiny blip in the center of this image is a single atom, floating in air.
It’s the first time it’s ever been captured on camera.
Sweet, sweet honey.
This beehive occupies a fairly tenuous place on the underside of this branch. Thanks to the sunlight behind it, you can see that it’s practically bursting with honey.
Chaos.
Volcanic eruptions create all kinds of weird weather patterns, sometimes patterns that are entirely contained within the eruption. This phenomenon, known as a ‘dirty storm’, creates localized lightning bolts.
The aftermath.
We don’t use steam locomotives anymore and after seeing this pic, I’m kind of glad. This is what one of those old-school locos looked like after a boiler explosion.
The basis of life.
Don’t ask me to explain the science here but this moss-choked gutter is somehow producing thousands of tiny bubbles of oxygen. It’s definitely a weird sight.
Room to grow.
This isn’t a baby dragon or a baby dinosaur, but a baby snapping turtle. You can even see the beginnings of its shell growing on its back.
Hop, skip and a jump.
If you’ve ever wondered how pilots get into the precarious cockpit of an F-35 fighter jet, here’s your answer: A rickety but effective ladder descends down to the ground.
Just a baby.
Just because this octopus is a tiny baby, that doesn’t mean it can’t pack a punch. Its ink cloud might be smaller but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work.
