Are you jaded because you’ve seen everything? Have you packed more experiences and sights into the past year than most people see in a lifetime?
Well, if you are (and even if you aren’t), you might want to sit down. Your mind is about to be blown.
See-through.
This fish is basically the aquatic, organic version of those clear phones that everyone thought were so cool back in the ’90s.
…am I maybe dating myself a bit here?
This photo is fire.
Both of the guys in this photo are flashing a peace sign. Not wanting to feel left out, the flames in the background clearly decided to play along as well.
So tiny.
These ethereal looking fungus specimens are way smaller than your typical mushroom. Each example seen here is actually considerably smaller than a single grain of rice.
Weird monument but okay.
I don’t know if it’s the way the snow has fallen, or maybe just the general vibe of this statue, but it really looks like this Polish town is commemorating Darth Vader for some reason.
Kermit IRL.
This is an incredible example of life imitating art. This real-life version of Kermit the Frog was actually discovered long after Kermit’s first appearance. You can find these frogs in Costa Rica.
Split.
This stunning photograph by Marcin Ryczek is just too perfect. The stark white snow contrasts with the dark water, divided by a perfectly straight line. The white swans in the dark water create a cool effect as well.
Pebble by pebble.
This guy has created an incredible model church, which looks to be about seven feet tall, entirely out of tiny pebbles. I’m not sure why he took the project on, but it’s more impressive than anything I’ve ever done.
Taste the rainbow.
Srirangam Temple in India, like much of the other architecture that can be found around the subcontinent, is awash in beautiful rainbow tones. The soft sunlight really makes the colors pop.
Plop it down right here.
I’d never thought much about how those huge power line towers were installed, but if I had to guess, I wouldn’t have expected this. They’re fabricated off-site, then plunked down by heavy-lift helicopters.
Bulletproof.
If you’re ever wondering how far into a piece of wood a bullet can penetrate, the answer is about this much. Someone found a bullet lodged into a piece of firewood they were splitting.
Cool glow.
It looks like a science fiction city, but this is actually an active nuclear reactor. It’s exhibiting a blue glow from something called Cherenkov radiation. I’m guessing it’s probably not safe to be in its vicinity.
Preserved for the ages.
This humble paw print was found in a house that was built in 1900. The dog who made it has likely been dead for over a century, but it certainly left its mark on the world.
Snow on snow.
This massive snowflake art was created by snowshoe artist (I guess that’s a thing) Simon Beck. One misstep or miscalculation and this entire piece would have been ruined.
The trolls will always get you.
This is the unassuming grave of John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Abraham Lincoln. The tombstone is generally festooned with pennies, which all feature Lincoln’s face, because people are trolls.
I’m uncomfortable.
There’s something about this photo of a person sitting, unsecured, on a massive clock tower, that just makes me feel weird from the soles of my feet to my fingertips.
Bleach job.
This squirrel has some interesting genetics judging by its coat. From its nose to the base of its tail, it’s totally dark, but the tail is stunningly blond.
The old ways.
Both of these pics, taken 150 years apart, were shot using the same camera. It’s incredible that modern cameras and editing techniques can’t quite capture the vibe of old-timey photographs.
Rising from the desert.
This photo of a sandstorm just outside Dubai shows not just how sand can completely choke off the roads, but also how the imposing skyline of Dubai rises out of nothingness.
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A trick of the mesh.
Created by artist Edoardo Tresoldi, this is a reconstruction of an ancient church that once stood in that spot in Puglia, Italy, made out of several tonnes of wire mesh. It almost seems to bend light in a way that makes it look ghostly.
A quacking good time.
We all know about therapy dogs and other animals in the modern age, but this photo shows therapy ducks in 1956. It was part of an early animal therapy program geared towards young children, and I elect we bring it back. Dogs are still great, but variety is nice and ducks are nicer.
Dragon’s skin.
Well, not really. This is actually shark skin under an electron microscope. They’re known as “dermal denticles” or “skin teeth,” and are a modified form of scale that can be found on a number of sea creatures. That being said, I’d like every elementary teacher that told me sharks don’t have scales to apologize now.
Some things never change.
This is a customer complaint letter from 1750 BC, written due to the below-par grade of copper the one man delivered. The customer demands their money back and warns him to never mislead them on copper grade again.
A bonding agent.
A rifle became melted into this asphalt here after being trapped underneath a burning car. It didn’t even occur to me that asphalt could melt again after it was set… It’s like the floor really could become lava if it were hot enough.
Pretty in pink.
This is Miko, the pink-champagne-colored fox that used to reside in Quebec, Canada. Kept as a domestic pet, he was sadly stolen and killed , but his death was one that sparked a movement for harsher punishments for those who engage in animal cruelty. A law was eventually passed in the province that grants jail time for animal abusers, so his legacy left a real impact!
Natural beauty.
A truly gorgeous and stunning find, this is an ammonite fossil that’s over 70 million years old. The color and iridescence is due to aragonite, the crystal form of calcium carbonate.
One chance at life.
This is a Hawaiian Silver Sword , an extremely rare and endangered plant native to some areas in Hawaii. This photo shows one in bloom, which is even more rare of a sight. Though they can live between 15 and 50+ years on their own, they only bloom once before they die.
Mobile forest.
Someone in the comments pointed out that this was less likely to be plants actually growing on him, and more plants that stuck to his shell when resurfacing from water as they appear to be water plants. Regardless, it’s a great look. How can I start wearing plants?
All huddled together.
If you ever wondered how animals at zoos are kept safe during natural disasters, an extremely specific thought I’m sure we’ve all drummed up, here’s one example. The flamingos at the Miami Zoo were transported to one of the public bathrooms to keep them protected during Hurricane Andrew.
High level defenses.
I’m suddenly less wary of extreme doomsday preppers. This house set up major protective barriers and managed to completely survive the obviously very extreme flooding in the area.
Losing track of days.
This photo was taken at midnight in Tuktoyaktuk, Canada, but reflects the realities for many areas in the extreme north. When taken, the sun hadn’t set for over seven days, and would stay in the sky for another two months before setting again.
Local history.
Found under a vineyard in Negrar, Italy, under this layer of dirt reveals the mosaic floor of a Roman villa. Seeing this alone is gorgeous, I can only imagine how far this spans and how long it was covered.
Worlds away.
These are two samples from two different meteorites, one from the moon, and one from Mars. The comments on this post were inexplicably filled with people wanting to taste them, which is one way to show appreciation, I suppose.
Prettier packing peanuts.
Usually delicate stuff is shipped with packing peanuts, or Styrofoam, or wadded-up paper in order to protect it. But this shipment came protected by hundreds of hand-folded paper cranes.
The fae’s forest.
Not a very slim portal to another world, but instead a photo of a tree whose inside is on fire. Though many assume the color is due to a filter, one user pointed out that purple and pink flames can happen with the presence of potassium, rubidium or cesium, so there’s hope yet!
A room’s a room.
This tiny, narrow, no good hotel room can be found in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It looks like there’s just enough room to open the door before it hits the bed.
