We all have some sort of grasp on how the world, and the stuff within it, tends to work. But if you change the context — whether it’s the angle, perspective, lighting, or whatever — everyday things can look way different from what you may have expected.
Clean-up station
This old chemical drum was rusted out and appeared useless — that is until someone used their ingenuity to turn it into a portable sink.
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From phone booth to fish booth
I’m not sure what the purpose of converting an old phone booth into an aquarium could be, but given the fact that no one uses payphones any more, it’s a cool idea.
Jagged as ice
We’re used to ice freezing smoothly on large bodies of water, but wind conditions can create some wild patterns, as seen on this mountain lake in Switzerland.
Crystal clear
Due to the pandemic and its subsequent lack of activity, there’s been far less pollution going on. In the famed canals of Venice, the water is clear for the first time in ages.
The new normal
Imagine viewing this picture a year ago. It would be anyone’s guess as to why there are caution signs in elevators that prompt people to stand like this.
Metamorphosis
Packing peanuts is the kind of thing that usually gets deposited immediately into the nearest garbage bin. But with a little creativity, they can become something majestic.
Human hamster
Off-the-grid cabins aren’t wired to power lines because, well, they’re off-the-grid. This cabin includes a unique way for the occupants to charge the generator when solar power is lacking.
That isn’t supposed to happen
Everyone knows that when you drop a drinking glass, it either loses a big chip or breaks into a million pieces. I wonder if this weird break has anything to do with the manufacturing process.
Reclaimed
Coyotes are incredibly well-adapted to urban areas, and during this period of self-isolation, these desert dogs are quickly reclaiming the streets. This coyote was seen recently on the streets of San Francisco.
Static electricity is crazy
This spoon had a slight static charge from being wiped on a sweater. That static was enough to make the spices it scooped up stand out like they were made of metal.
Digging out
This photo of the Siberian winter dates back to the 1960s. It shows just how high snow can drift. Let’s just hope someone turned off the power to these lines first.
I didn’t know that was a thing
I thought the only form of pre-served ice cream cone came in the form of Drumsticks, which are barely ice cream cones at all. This grocery store has chosen to be innovative.
So tiny
Hummingbirds are diminutive little birds, but baby hummingbirds are almost unfathomably small. This baby hummingbird has found a jackpot in this ripe red raspberry.
Built to last
If Abraham Lincoln had access to a PC in his log cabin, this is probably what the peripherals would have looked like. I wonder if the keyboard’s clacks sound different with wood.
Ghost ship?
Foggy days in San Francisco are nothing out of the ordinary. When conditions align, the fog makes the mast of this radio tower look like a sailing ship in the sky.
Trying to fit in
This absolute unit of a cow is just trying to graze with its mates, but it can’t help but stand out. This must be how Andre the Giant would have felt.
Steer clear
This photo of a dramatic nighttime thunderstorm was taken from a passing plane. It’s beautiful, so long as the plane doesn’t get anywhere near it.
Trees find a way
I can’t even begin to understand how this is possible, but somehow this tree has found a way to thrive in the walls of this abandoned building.
Lined with lead
We’ve all seen tombs before, but this one is different. Inside is the late scientist Marie Curie, whose body is still radioactive from working with radium. Her tomb is lined with lead to protect visitors.
Dystopia
This underground bunker from the 1960s is designed to look like the outdoors. Looking at things with 21st-century eyes, I’d be more afraid of people coughing than any nuclear threat.
Hidden context
I love this Cheshire Cat tattoo. It’s a good look by itself, but under ultraviolet light, the whole piece of art is revealed.
Jeff Bezos: the “before” picture
Back in 1997, long before he was worth a trillion billion quadmillion dollars, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was just a guy working at a humble office.
When elephants get undignified
These elephants rampaged through a winery in China. Predictably, they enjoyed the winery’s wares. A couple of them had a little too much and decided to pass out.
That’s different
The packaging of these laundry detergent bottles isn’t completely plastic-free, but it includes way less plastic than any of its competitors.
Three for the price of one
This waterfall, or series of three waterfalls, in Lebanon, is so breathtaking that it’s hard to even see where one ends and the next begins.
Built for the cold
It stands to reason that penguins are well-insulated given their habitat, but it isn’t until you can actually see what their feathers look like that you can fully appreciate how blanketed they are.
Not so syrupy
Apparently, when maple syrup is left to its own devices and evaporates, it can form crystals like this one. It must taste just as sweet; it’s basically surprise candy.
That’s…a lot of legs
Good news, this isn’t some alien-bird hybrid. It’s just a mama bird doing mama bird things, hauling her youngsters around under her wings with their legs sticking out.
The day clock
For some, this would be superfluous. For others, like those of us stuck indoors for days on end, it would be genuinely handy, especially if it also had reminders to shower.
So many eyes
We’re definitely more used to seeing scallops on plates, maybe wrapped with bacon. That way, you never know how many eyes and teeth they once had.
Springing up
This daffodil just packed the blooms in, sprouting three flowers on a single stem. That’s got to be better luck than a four-leaf clover, right?
Asparagus trees
The asparagus we eat as a side dish looks a bit like the stalk of a tree. This photo of full-grown asparagus gives us a great look at what the entire plant looks like.
Way, way free
LA’s 405 freeway is typically bumper-to-bumper 24/7, from what I understand, so seeing it free and clear of cars is unusual, to say the least. But, that’s a state-wide lockdown for you.
The greatest of Danes
This dog, appropriately named Zeus, is apparently the tallest dog that’s ever lived. He looks like a very good boy, for what it’s worth.
Not appealing
Why does it look so wrong to peel a lime? Maybe because we always see them quartered or sliced for drinks, I guess. But this is weird.
Lifehack
Just in case you ever wanted to see through frosted glass, a bit of Scotch tape will help. That’s what made this pen transparent.
Another useful tab
Okay, it’s no fishhook, but this one you can rotate to point at a letter, probably your initial, to tell your drink apart from someone else’s.
Bugs Bunny’s dream
This carrot weighed in at a whopping 3.4 pounds. That’s like getting an entire bag of carrots in one carrot.
Nature is lit
Ice crystals in clouds will act as a prism if the sunlight hits them just right, creating this rainbow effect. The fact that the clouds resemble a tornado is a pretty cool coincidence.
