We truly never know what’s going to capture the internet’s attention. For some, this is evident in the widely different challenges that can briefly take over social media.
One week may see people try to make a difference and clean up their community as seen with the #trashtag challenge , while another may feature people throwing cheese slices on their babies’ heads.
Sometimes the trending pictures that go viral online don’t seem special in any way at face value. The backstory or hidden meaning of a picture can make the difference.
It apparently gets so dry in this person’s office that fruit dehydrates instead of rotting.
But even though you can dry grapes into raisins, it’s hard to believe that this mummified tangerine or the banana that looks vaguely like a deflated balloon would be all that edible in this state.
This picture of a Chinese fire-bellied newt had a special reason for becoming as popular as it has.
When Reddit user Melz1343 bought the newt, the staff at the pet shop apparently told them it would live for a couple of years at best.
Today, the amphibian is about 13-years-old. It sure showed them.
Beautiful rainbow, right?
The crazy part that made this image go viral was the fact that the rainbow seems to end, or start, in a dumpster.
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At first glance, it looks like a beaten old stone path.
Well, it is, but it happens to be the ruins of an ancient Roman stone path.
Oh wow, a plant. But wait, this image went viral on Reddit, so what’s going on?
“My plant can’t grow close to the Wi-Fi hub,” wrote Reddit user
This scene of a demo doesn’t seem very interesting until you know the backstory.
“Found a shower during the demo to put in a shower,” wrote Reddit user tomselleckcruise.
This Subway isn’t just any Subway location.
Notice something special? “The Subway I went to today used to be a bank. Instead of removing the vault they just added more seating inside,” wrote Eaglezzz.
The edge of this pretty mundane drawing kit casts a pretty incredible shadow.
“My pencil case shadow looks like a guy smoking a cigarette,” wrote Reddit user skybike.
Apparently, this Wendy’s has a special table for folks who happen to be dining in by themselves.
It’s unknown whether that was by design or by mistake, but the little privacy screen is a nice touch.
Notice anything special about these drinks?
The straws at an Italian restaurant are actually made out of pasta.
You may have seen pictures of the #trashtag challenge.
Reddit user onetimeonreddit wrote , “As a Parks and Rec employee, THANK YOU to anyone who has ever helped clean up a park. This river used to be covered in trash and it’s pristine again because of one of you. I hope #TrashTag never ends.”
It’s hard to tell if she has any idea what’s going on below, but she will when she sees this picture.
Whether you’re a fan of the Gorillaz or not, it’s hard not to be impressed by the quality of this carving job.
This also apparently happened in an exam room, but unless somebody very proudly turned in a blank page, that’s probably not the room’s full-time purpose.
The rice in the scoop on this bag of rice’s label is the actual rice in the bag.
Either this driver made it their mission to collect bumper stickers from failed presidential campaigns or they have absurdly bad luck picking candidates.
Based on the age of the car and the condition of those stickers, the first one seems more likely. I still wouldn’t want their endorsement if I were a politician, though.
Something strange happened in this parking lot.
It must be a coincidence, but every after every third car, there’s a red car parked in this lot. You have to wonder if it was a subliminal thing though, don’t you?
It’s not hard to see why this photo of a storm supposedly approaching Miami Beach would get a big response, but there’s more going on here than meets the eye.
As Reddit user to_the_tenth_power figured out, someone simply took a stock image of the beachfront and added some big, scary-looking storm clouds to it.
It’s hard to know whether to be disappointed or relieved.
He’s wearing a tux and everything.
Apparently, five years earlier he promised his sister he’d bring a llama to her wedding. Can she really be that mad that he followed through?
The owners couldn’t find their cat, then looked out the window…
That looks like a predicament and a half for the poor kitty, but apparently it dropped gracelessly from the branch and is perfectly fine.
Not just another painter showing off his work.
This guy is actually colorblind and says he works with “whatever looks good.” And the results are pretty fantastic, so it’s awesome to see.
Cosplay, but with a cause.
Casting her ballot for the first time as an 18-year-old, this young lady decided to do in fashions of yesteryear to commemorate the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage.
When absence is the whole point.
This guy was alone in his workplace as all the women were out that day, part of a general strike by women in Mexico to protest femicides.
It seems that the same stores that once had to tell people not to eat Tide Pods now must shake their heads as the put up a new sign.
Although a challenge that involves throwing cheese slices at infants hardly seems like something that would catch on, enough people have done it that at least one concerned grocer felt the need to put a stop to the practice.
No makeup needed.
This is a composite image of a grandmother and her granddaughter, showing just how strong genes can be.
This plain-looking tomb holds a pretty special person.
This is the tomb of Marie Curie, and it’s lined with solid lead because her remains are so radioactive due to her work with radium.
Take a close look at all the faces in this pic.
It’s all the same person, not triplets, and this was created back in the 1910s, well before Photoshop was a thing. Pretty cool!
These logs have surprising promise.
It’s glue-laminated timber that has been tested in and survived two hours in 1,000 degree C (about 1,800 F) flames, while holding up a load. Pretty cool!
