Reality is weird.
Most of the time we go about our days oblivious to the strangeness around us. Then small, odd little events or images jolt us from our routine and force us to confront how bonkers and irrational life is.
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1. For example, why would McDonald’s put a giant disclaimer on festive balloons?
It ruins the look and seems obvious, but someone, somewhere must have been dumb enough to have a balloon accident. It’s the “Caution: Hot” coffee debacle all over again.
2. When thermodynamics confirms how ridiculously cold this winter has been.
The metal of this door lock got so cold that at first the warm air inside caused condensation, and then the condensation froze. Inside the house!
If I saw this, I would go right back to bed.
3. Or when you suddenly decide that you’d rather risk the weather than park in this garage.
Think of the impact required to damage those pillars! Did it happen all at once, or was it a multitude of smaller impacts over time? Either way, those are load-bearing!
4. On cold days, a bright sun can cause snow to melt, but what about the parts in the shade?
This tree ended up with a snow shadow where it shaded the ground. This is both super neat and kind of spooky.
5. How we suddenly feel insignificant seeing the world from above the clouds.
Below, there’s probably wind and rain and churning waves, but from above, this storm looks innocent and tranquil.
6. Other times, the weather seems to be actively trolling us.
Like with this destroyed VHS box for the movie Twister , found in the debris left after an actual twister.
Well played, Mother Nature.
7. We’ve been finding ways to keep our hands busy long before fidget spinners.
I focus way better during lectures if my hands are occupied, just like lots of people. This maze pen is a weird, but neat solution.
8. How humans tend to see expressions on the faces of creatures.
This dragonfly is totally grumpy about having his picture taken, right?
Nope, it’s just a human habit called anthropomorphism . We do it to inanimate objects, too.
9. Sometimes, these weird little discoveries cause a nice little chuckle.
Such as these hidden “yoga mat” instructions on an Amazon box. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s another variation out there for break dancing.
10. Other times, you do a double take during your boring morning commute.
If you look closely, the three sleeping men aren’t actually identical, but they’re certainly close enough to be seriously confusing.
11. The realization that some people are motivated enough to jog in this cold.
Even if it means their eyelashes and beard freeze solid.
Good on you, dude. I can barely brave the cold enough to walk to my car.
12. The most innocuous things may be more dangerous than you realized.
These blinds may seem like privacy-providing dust magnets, but then they nearly cut through a Nerf dart. They’re sharp little dust magnets!
13. When we learn that other countries have put way more thought into the small things.
Like this train station with electronic signs indicating how crowded the public washroom is, right down to which stalls are occupied.
14. Progress doesn’t necessarily mean that the past is destroyed.
Take the Center Church on the Green, in New Haven, CT, for example. When they needed to expand the church, they preserved the colonial graves underneath by propping the new building above them.
15. Like a Mentos in Diet Coke, fine leg hairs are the perfect place for hot tub bubbles to collect.
But unlike Mentos in Diet Coke, the hot tub isn’t carbonated , so the result is far less explosive.
16. This awesome photograph is not of a newly discovered planet.
Rather, it’s a faraway waterfall, photographed through a telescope. The result is eerie and beautiful. I kind of want a poster of it.
17. A hailstorm absolutely smashed this car’s moonroof, but it didn’t break all the way.
The glass’ lamination prevented a complete break while also catching the hail, causing it to sag inwards.
18. You don’t prop up a building mid-collapse without good reason, and this job sure qualifies.
After an earthquake in Taiwan, authorities needed to prop this building up while rescue operations helped people evacuate. It did come crashing down later.
19. This guy’s hand is in some impossibly clear water.
If you didn’t notice the line on his wrist, you wouldn’t even guess that his hand is in water. Admit it, you thought that was dry ground at first, right?
20. For some reason, dirt doesn’t seem to collect on this guy’s scar.
Likely it’s due to the lack of sweat glands in scar tissue, which would give the dirt something to stick to.
21. Scientists have developed a telescopic contact lens that allows its wearer to see objects almost three times larger than they are.
However, at present, it only works when you’re also wearing a special pair of electronic glasses.
22. Here’s something you definitely don’t see every day: a hunter’s arrow embedded in a deer’s ribs.
The deer must have run off after being hit, because its bones grew back around the arrow.
23. This guy is holding an entire deck of cards, using only a single card to keep the arrangement aloft.
Not sure exactly how to do that, other than time and patience.
24. Have you ever accidentally broken a mug and then thought, “Hey, I should frame that!”?
After a unique break like this, I can’t blame anyone for at least taking a pic, if not putting it on display somewhere.
25. These are not rocks, but tree bark.
However, much like rocks, they’ve been worn smooth by time spent underneath the raging waters of a river. I never thought bark would stay underwater for so long though; I thought it would just float away.
26. The way that the light is coming through the glass made the glass look like it disappeared when the photo was taken.
It looks like it should be spilling everywhere!
27. What could scratch such an interesting pattern onto the face of a penny?
A washing machine, of course. Kind of curious to see the state of the washing machine now.
28. Now this is a proper storm front. In fact, it’s almost too perfect.
It’s like the sky is pulling up a blanket to block out the sun after a rough night.
29. One of the cooler security features on these visitor passes is that they expire on their own.
Kind of like one of those Mission: Impossible tapes, it self-destructs shortly after the tour has ended.
30. On this receipt, the morning dew has chosen to settle on the text — and only the text.
It’s uncanny, and it’s because receipt paper can repel a bit of water, but not where it has been printed on.
31. Alright, it’s pretty obvious what is happening here, but it took me way longer to figure out than I want to admit.
It looks so convincing that they’re all stacked up along the wall.
32. I went cross-eyed for a moment trying to figure out how part of a building appears out of nowhere.
But it’s just a coincidence that the building’s paint perfectly matched the sky that day.
