Reddit | TheVastReaches

15+ Fascinating Pics That Distracted Us From Reality For A While

Contemplating reality is exhausting. I mean, when you ponder on Einstein's theory of relativity and how everything you perceive that creates your reality depends entirely on the circumstances you're viewing it from, don't you just want to curl up in a little ball of existential dread and roll yourself into the woods, maybe while screaming?

We sure do. But the better option might be simply to distract yourself with some other things that are still cool to ponder, but don't contain the terror of reality.

Risky pic.

Reddit | malthezimakoff

Yes, that person is standing on the precipice of an active volcano, Indonesia's Mt. Bromo.

And as much as it doesn't seem like the wisest choice, the lip of Mt. Bromo is actually a fairly popular stop for thrill-seeking tourists.

Still standing.

Reddit | joeybyrd3rd

Obviously, this is not the ideal spot for a tree to grow and when you think about it, it's kind of a mystery as to how it managed to get so large next to a rather large body of water that must have been lapping at its roots for a long time.

And yet, here it is, a survivor of some crazy erosion.

Dust for days.

Reddit | jeffalbot

It's easy to forget sometimes how much of Australia is just desert scrub. It is a sandy, sandy continent.

Just check out this overhead view of how far the dust trail behind a single truck goes. It's just a bit dry there, don't you think?

Precious.

Reddit | Nickadeamus36

This coin has changed some hands, having first been minted in about 55 BC by the Corieltauvi tribe of British Celts, right around the time Julius Caesar was invading the British Isles.

The fact that it still has so much shine and detail left after 2,000 years is incredible. "The prize of my coin collection," the uploader called it. No doubt! It's a beauty!

Still has a ways to go.

Reddit | Gyros45

This is what olive oil looks like after the first pressing. Yeah, I'm also quite happy that the processing continues from this stage.

It would be much less appealing if it stayed this baby-vomit-green color.

Gonna get some weather.

Facebook | Relax Hotel

Greece's scenic coastline provided a startling backdrop when some severe weather brought a waterspout — basically a tornado over water instead of land — to the island of Rhodes.

Built for speed.

It doesn't look like much but at the same time, you can almost imagine NASA's experimental X-43A being mistaken for a UFO.

And — packing a scramjet on board — the X-43A did manage an otherworldly feat, reaching a speed of Mach 9.6 back in 2004.

One deep cup.

If you put the picture on the right up on a wall, you'd get lost in the swirls and dots of a galaxy-like work of art.

But all anyone had to do to get that pic was invert the colors on a picture of their morning coffee.

"My cousin got to watch the premiere of The Matrix Reloaded and got to attend the after party. He still has his ticket and invitation."

Reddit | allenwalker009

Hey, The Matrix Reloaded might not have been a great movie but I bet you remember the highway scene regardless.

Absolutely one of the greatest ever filmed. And this is a pretty cool memory to be able to attach to it.

Special.

Reddit | Huhn3d

People are always looking for ways to make their wedding bands more personalized and unique to the couple involved, and it's hard to imagine much more personalization than laser etching each other's fingerprints into the band.

You know it's cold when...

Reddit | CheesePlank

That halo of light with a little rainbow effect showing up around the sun here is called a "sundog."

Sundogs occur when light from the sun gets refracted through ice crystals in the air and, given that this pic was taken in Fairbanks, Alaska, the conditions certainly qualify.

Ever want to see a Civil War draft notice?

Reddit | kidkatdonur7

The uploader of this pic said that this draft notice went to their great-great-great-grandfather back in 1863 and that he did indeed show up to do his duty in the Union Army.

The family must have taken good care of this document, too. It still looks to be in decent shape considering its age.

Colorful!

Reddit | ImRealKanyeWest

We all remember the experiments in high school chemistry when the teacher would burn various elements in the Bunsen burner to show off the different colors they make, right?

That was cool enough but seeing this display by accident in your own campfire is a really nice surprise. Must have been a copper fitting on one of those logs.

You don't see that every day.

It took about 18 days for the building to make the journey, but engineers in China did indeed make a building walk across the street to relocate it.

They attached about 200 "legs" and, over time, it made it there completely intact.

Good to know.

Reddit | humandictionary

Personally, I like the human touch of knowing that the produce I'm buying came from some guy's farm rather than a giant factory farm facility.

I don't know if it makes spinach taste any better but putting the farmer's name on the packaging is still a good idea.

Hawt.

Reddit | TheVastReaches

This is, amazingly, not even from NASA, but from an amateur astronomer with their own setup of telescopes.

You obviously need special filters to observe the sun but if they get you views like this, well, that's a good buy. Wowsers.

Don't try to clean your screen, those aren't two specks of dust.

Reddit | anshul119

That's a pair of hikers making their way through the Alps. I know, it's reminiscent of calling a blank page a polar bear eating vanilla ice cream in a blizzard, right?

It's crazy how empty and texture-less a mountainous area can seem when it's blanketed in snow.

Natural, yet alien.

Reddit | FishMonkeyCow

It's not that this pic was processed — per se — and it is a real landscape in China, not some odd Dr. Seuss-like creation.

It's just that scenery, but viewed through an infrared camera. Pretty cool, right?

True north strong and green.

Reddit | muscleupss

Among the many security features on Canada's bank notes, you can shine a laser through the maple leaf on them and it will project the denomination of the bill onto a surface behind it. As a bonus, it's made from a polymer that's waterproof, so leaving cash in your pockets when you do laundry isn't the worst thing you'll do with your day.

A sweet mistake.

Reddit | EdyMarin

"My mother used [too] much sugar while making some syrup," the uploader of this pic wrote. "The result is this huge sugar crystal that broke the glass bottle." I didn't even know that was a syrup-making hazard.

A mighty steed.

Reddit | degeneration

Greyhounds are lean, lithe dogs, but you don't really appreciate their power because of their grace. But while at rest, this one shows off his musculature, clearly defined like a champ.

Crazy good capture.

Reddit | NightSkyFlying

I know, it's a little blurry, but when you consider that this is a pic of a structure that's 254 miles away (408 km) and moving at roughly 17,000 mph (about 27,000 kph), it's not bad at all. You can even make out the Dragon capsule attached to the station at the bottom center of the structure.

Looking sharp.

Reddit | Hlantaart

Even if this image was made with paint, chalk, or ink, it's impressive. But then you find out the artist made it with thread and nails, and that it took them eight months to do it.

Blown. Away.

Wow.

Reddit | BiblicalNuisance

As the uploader of these images explained, "6 years ago today I had a surgery to straighten up my spine, this is the before/after result. I gained 5cm with the process." That's...pretty incredible.

The future is here.

Reddit | SoDakZak

This pooch is demonstrating the "dog mode" available in Teslas. The mode includes temperature control to keep the dog safe and a note on the display panel that alerts concerned passersby that the dog is fine.

Now that's good recycling.

Reddit | reoltlaonc

This is, if you can believe it, a hospital. It was built with the purpose of being a hotel but it became a hospital, and that plan worked out perfectly, as you could easily mistake this for a resort hotel's lobby.

"My grandfather invented the shape of Dove soap. Here are some original wooden molds we have in the house."

Reddit | critterwalk

I don't know why I never thought of bars of soap as having proprietary shapes, or that someone had to invent them, or that there would be models of them kicking around anywhere.

But those models definitely look like Dove soap bars. No mistaking them so good work!

This actually does serve a purpose.

Reddit | camtarn

Although a bridge over such a large body of water appears quite pointless, there's a real purpose to this one. When the tide is low, it spans a stream so beachgoers can cross freely.

The bricks tell the story.

Reddit | headchefdaniel

The age of this building is clear from the exterior, kind of like counting the rings of a tree but with brick work.

The red clay lines indicate all the chimneys that had to be built into the structure to heat all the rooms.

Well, that's sad.

That's an iconic hotel that I will never be able to look at the same way again. In fact, Williams designed homes for many celebrities in the Los Angeles area, and in many neighborhoods that would never have allowed him to buy a home of his own.

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