Without backstory, we’d live in a world almost completely devoid of all context. With backstory, we can’t answer all of the mysteries of the universe, but we can still uncover some intriguing stories.
More than a bike rack.
What looks like a random hunk of metal is actually a tongue-in-cheek guitar stand that holds an air guitar. It was put in place at a park in Aberdeen, Washington to honor local legend Kurt Cobain.
Hat’s all, folks.
The guy on the left doesn’t look out of place in the fun atmosphere of a music festival. A closer look at his weird pants reveals that they’re made of bucket hats from prior festivals.
Braided away.
This slide used to be hindered by a bush that got in the way. Some anonymous person has decided to braid the bush — a unique idea that keeps it out of the way without killing it.
All aboard!
It looks like a train pulled up at an unusually plush station, but this is actually the lobby of a hotel. It’s repurposed old train cars to serve as rooms.
Old as the hills.
This coat hanger looks old at first glance. To understand how old it is, consider the fact that it’s advertising a business that has a four -digit telephone number.
RELATED STORIES
Tracing a path.
This outdoor light fixture uses a glass globe to protect the lightbulb within. It also shows exactly where the sun is in the sky by burning a pattern into the grass.
In memory of a real tree.
This statue looks like it was designed that way. But it was originally built under a real tree. Now that the tree’s gone, the little girl’s swing is attached to nothing.
Custom made.
This dagger was made out of the same cables used on the Golden Gate Bridge. Let’s hope that they used excess cable and, like, didn’t cut it off the actual bridge.
Weird portrait.
This frame contains art that might seem a bit underwhelming at first glance, but it’s actually showcasing the original wallpaper, dating all the way back to 1885.
What is this, an evacuation plan for ants?
You might see evacuation plans posted along the ground at some hotels. The reason for this is that, in a fire, smoke rises and obscures vision. These signs would be a godsend for anyone crawling on the floor.
Starship Razorprise.
These look like some fun toys, possibly the kind that transform into other fun toys. They’re actually made entirely out of discarded razors. I’m not sure if that’s cool, or gross.
Double duty.
This looks like a pretty typical bench. But because it has nice views in both directions — a park on the left and the waterfront on the right — the backrest can be adjusted to enjoy either view.
Not your average viewer.
Everyone’s seen these viewers. They’re a mainstay of national parks and outdoor vistas. This one, rather uniquely, is equipped with special lenses to help those with red-green colorblindness to fully enjoy the view.
You’ve changed, man.
On the left is a modern tomato, like you’d see at any grocery store. On the right is a tomato as well, one grown with 150-year-old seeds.
Tasty.
The back of this car is crusted with road salt, but what are those weird marks? Turns out they’re the tongue marks of deer who’ve come to appreciate a salty treat.
Quiet day in the food court.
What looks like a quiet, possibly dead mall is actually a quiet, presumably alive college campus. It’s a cool way to repurpose a building that’s still structurally sound.
It’s like an altimeter.
These potato chip bags have puffed up, almost to the point of exploding, because of the air pressure at high altitudes. It’s cool that manufacturers account for different altitudes.
Lotta history in that tree.
Everyone knows the story of an apple falling out of a tree, bonking Sir Isaac Newton on the head, and his later theory of gravity. That was over 350 years ago, but the tree still stands.
Sidewalk mess.
It looks like someone dropped a colorful ice cream cone on the sidewalk, but this is actually glass. It comes from a live wire that fell to the sidewalk, melting it at an extremely high temperature.
Mixed up mutt.
This dog is the result of embryo from a black lab and embryo from a yellow lab getting combined. Technically it’s known as a chimera. It’s also undeniably a lab…of some sort.
Moving mountains and roads.
At first glance, this looks like a paving mishap, but really this section of road was picked up and moved by a powerful storm that blew through the area.
A 50/50 split.
After an accident with a knife, this user severed a nerve in their finger that now stops half of their finger from pruning, right down the middle.
What a hard year’s work can do.
These boots are the exact same make and model, but one pair has undergone a year of wear and tear being worn for mining work. Something tells me you can figure out which pair it is.
Leaving your mark.
What looks like a scene out of a zombie movie is much more innocent. This user had a family reunion, and on the way out everyone left a handprint, or a footprint, on the door!
Self care.
This tomato got accidentally cut while still growing, and visibly stitched itself back together, no bandaid needed.
The tree that owns itself.
Behold the son of the tree that owns itself. In the 1800s, a man loved a tree on his property so much, he deeded the ownership of the tree to itself and no one questioned it. It had its own rights, so no one could ever move it or cut it down. That is, until a storm came along and blew it over.
Lucky an acorn from the tree was found and planted in the same place, growing into the tree in the photo above, which lives on land it inherited from its father!
The lawn’s evil twin.
This man’s lawn caught on fire, leaving it charred and black. It’s kind of a cool look, the local goth lawn.
Hygienic and innovative.
This panel on the ground are hands-free elevator buttons, meant to be kicked. They can be used when your hands are full, if you want to prevent the spread of germs, or if you’re just lazy like me and lifting your arm is too much effort.
Ancient fashion.
This dress is actually 4500 years old, and was discovered in Giza. It had to go some reconstruction due to the thread disintegrating, but the beads are all original.
Toss a coin to this guy.
This talented creator made a replica of a Witcher’s medallion from The Witcher video game series and Netflix show. On its own it’s fantastic, but the coolest part? It was carved out of a 2400-year-old tree!
Rock candy.
What looks like a strange rock formation is actually a nice little treat. This is a large sugar crystal that formed at the bottom of someone’s bottle of maple syrup.
Models inception.
This looks like a photo of a normal street, but upon further inspection, it’s actually a model. A store in Kyoto keeps this model of itself in the front window. In the window of the model store? An even tinier model store!
