Pictures People Shared That The Rest Of The Internet Marveled At
The internet is, in addition to many other things, a nearly endless repository of photography. From carefully curated selfies to quick snapshots of unlikely events, there's no shortage of interesting photography online to marvel at.
Today, we're bringing you some of the best odd, unexpected, and downright fascinating images we've found from the various corners of the internet. Some of these pics might be a little bit weird, but they're definitely not boring.
"My Japanese work boots have suction cups on the bottom for walking on ceramic tiled roofs."
This is an altogether fascinating pair of boots. The aforementioned suction cups are certainly a unique feature, and one that would undoubtedly be helpful when working on slick rooftops with little margin for error.
Another intriguing detail here is, of course, the split toes. This isn't an aesthetic choice — the design allows for the toes to spread out and move around, which is crucial for balance on the job site.
"An emotional support highland cow."
While the vast majority of support animals you'll see are dogs, there are also other animals that are helpful for humans in need, particularly in the realm of emotional support.
This image has gone viral for good reason. We can't dig up any other examples of highland cows as emotional support animals, but still, this one seems like a good choice. It's a more portable, convenient form factor than most cows, too.
"Organized my bookcases by color."
Those who have a lot of books know that there are about a thousand ways to organize a bookshelf, even if most of us fall into the "just throw new books into the disorganized mess" category.
Organizing by color might make it hard to find a specific book, but the aesthetic benefits can't be denied. In fact, this decorating choice might lead a person to buy certain books solely for their color.
"Just saw this Roomba on top of a Norwegian mall door."
Aside from the odd glitch, Roombas are generally very good at staying safe, noticing ledges, and avoiding precipitous drops off of cliffs. Based on these metrics, this stranded Roomba has done a very good job.
In this case, a maintenance worker likely climbed a ladder to set the Roomba there to do its thing, and then completely forgot about the little robot vacuum. It's a real "out of sight, out of mind" situation.
"The shadows from the sign have a different spelling from the actual sign."
No matter how many times I look at this image, I just can't wrap my head around it. It stands to reason that three-dimensional letters would cast a shadow on the wall behind them, but how does this even work?
Is it possible that the light sources and the two letter R's are arranged so perfectly that both of the letters bleed into one shadow? Is this an intentional decision? In any event, it's fascinating.
"My great grandmother's cross stitch exercise is missing the letter J every single time."
Cross stitching is a skill that requires a lot of practice, and the best way to practice is by working on an exercise piece like this — it's kind of like a scratch pad.
This person is clearly pretty good at what they do — just look at the intricacy of the various fonts here. The really weird part is the avoidance of the letter J, which wasn't explained by the person who posted this.
"American Express spent 64 cents to send me a 41 cent cheque."
This seems ludicrous, and it is, but it's also something that most of us have probably experienced at least once. This is what happens when bureaucracy demands that every cent be paid out and accounted for, regardless of any overhead costs.
While it seems like it would be easier for AmEx to credit this person's account — or at least wait until a few of these charges have added up — there were likely no humans involved in the decision making process.
"My hands were stained yellow to a very deep black after harvesting and shucking wild walnuts from our backyard."
Walnuts feature prominently in some delicious recipes, but it's easy to forget just how labor-intensive it is to crack through their thick shells to get to the heart of the nut within.
Even after you've mastered the art of shucking the walnuts, there's the hand staining factor. This image might look a little bit alarming, but the stain is actually harmless. It can be cleaned away with a solution of water and hydrogen peroxide.
"These stairs lead to nowhere."
As buildings change owners and undergo renovations over a period of decades (or centuries), there are bound to be quirks related to the floorplan as things get shifted around.
That's likely what happened here: While these stairs once led to a door or to more stairs, a renovation somewhere along the way changed everything and turned them into an orphaned stairway to nowhere. Even if they're useless, they're still an interesting conversation piece.
"They have baguette vending machines in France."
Everyone knows that you can buy practically anything in a Japanese vending machine. This unique vending machine is located a long way from Japan, but when you consider its location — France — and its product — baguettes — it all starts to make sense.
Of course, there are probably better baguettes to be had at a bakery or café, as France is the land of baguettes. Still, the novelty of buying a loaf from a vending machine cannot be overstated.
"My salt will expire in six centuries."
It looks like this salt manufacturer simply dates all of its bags with an expiry date of 600 years after it was packaged. It's hilarious to think of this bag surviving that long, with generations of humans referring to its far-off expiration date.
While it's extremely unlikely that the bag will actually last that long, the actual expiration date for salt is almost non-existent. If salt is stored properly, it will last indefinitely.
"The amount of lost earbuds my boyfriend found today on one commercial plane."
Anyone who has a pair of AirPods or other wireless earbuds probably knows all too well the paranoia that one will be lost someday, forever dooming its partner to a lifetime of one-eared mono listening.
These fears are well-founded, as evidenced by the various earbuds collected from a flight. Some of these are not cheap models, either. I don't exactly envy the person whose job it is to collect orphaned earbuds from each plane.
"Globe with only Poland."
What would Earth look like if the only landmass was Poland? This is a question that probably hasn't been asked very often, even by Poles — but one intrepid globe manufacturer dared to not only ask the question, but demonstrate the concept.
This is clearly a gimmick or joke product, as evidenced by its 'Globus Polski' ('Globe of Poland') branding. It's intriguing to think that novelty globes would even be a genre of product that exists.
"Japanese gum comes with a pad of paper to wrap it up and throw it away later."
Chewing gum can come in the clutch: It tastes good, freshens breath, and gives your mouth something to do when you're anxious. The problem comes in disposing of it after it's been chewed, because even if you do so properly, many people do not.
This simple addition to a container of chewing gum might make a difference. Sure, some people will continue to throw their gum on the ground — but some might change their ways, now that they have a convenient way to dispose of it.
"I cleaned my leather couch and the cattle brand showed through."
How do you know if your leather couch is made of genuine leather? Some of us would just shrug, because the difference between synthetic fake leather and actual leather can be tough to ascertain.
In this case, there can be little doubt that the couch is made of actual steer's hide. The branding might be a little bit unsightly on the couch, but it does prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the couch is made of real leather.
"My local Dairy Queen will not flip your Blizzard upside down."
Let's be real: It doesn't really matter if they flip your Blizzard upside-down before serving it, as the point of the whole transaction is just to acquire a Blizzard.
That said, it kind of seems like the owner-operator of this Dairy Queen location is allergic to fun or something. Maybe their ice cream machine isn't tuned just right, and as a result doesn't create the right texture to facilitate easy flipping.
"The smoking sign turned on during my flight."
Smoking has been banned on planes for decades, to the point that most planes with no-smoking signs were manufactured long after the ban went into place. This begs the question of why these signs even exist, when everyone knows by now that they're not allowed to smoke.
Apparently, these signs still exist because they can — in rare instances — change from a red no-smoking sign to a green yes-smoking sign. I wonder what prompted this.
"My town defaulted on our only free public charger's electricity bill."
It's always gratifying to see municipalities foot the bill for something that benefits the populace, from free wifi to free charging stations. As it turns out, installing these measures is one thing, while continually paying the bills is another thing entirely.
It looks like this public charger was getting put to good use, as the outstanding balance is more than $13,000. Will the town pay it off or will they forever be in debt to the utilities company?
"Saw a goldfish in a rain puddle today."
You know things have been extra rainy lately when the puddles are deep enough to require galoshes to get through. But when the puddles are deep enough to support a fledgling ecosystem, it means it's been extra-extra rainy.
It's impossible to know whether this goldfish came from a backyard pond that got flooded or got here through some other means, but in any case, it looks like it's doing pretty well.
"Water forms 'HA' perfectly on my glasses after rinsing them."
For those wondering, the 'HA' in the lenses isn't a random coincidence. Certain types of lenses will note the supplier and the type of lenses near the nose area of the glass.
An alternative explanation would be that these are work glasses, in which case there would be an engraving somewhere on the lens to note that the glass is in compliance with standards set out by the American National Standards Institute.
"While playing Blackjack in Vegas, my friend got 5 aces in a row."
Everyone knows that the house always wins in Vegas (and elsewhere), but the odds are certainly against getting a hand like this. Considering there are 52 cards in a deck, with two decks in total, that means this person got more than half of the aces available all in five consecutive plays.
It's an interesting hand because aces truly can hold the balance of power in blackjack, as they can represent either one or eleven.
"My rice pointing upwards after cooking."
Cooking rice is a a simple task, but there's enough subtlety to make it something that requires a skilled hand to get the most out of a dish. When rice points upwards like this, it isn't a fluke — in fact, it's a sign that it's been cooked perfectly.
This happens once the rice grains have absorbed all of the water that they're capable of absorbing. This makes the water that's left turn into steam, which forces itself out of the rice, which in turn pushes the grains upwards.
"I bought an energy drink online and they sent me a bag full of hair."
It's always nice to receive a bonus for free when you buy something. Scratch that — it's usually nice to receive a bonus for free. When you receive human hair for free, it's actually pretty off-putting.
I'm sure this energy drink manufacturer meant well on some level with this gesture. But the practice of mailing hair to customers might help explain why the company hasn't had too many customers at this point.
"My city has recently been filling small potholes with tiles."
Potholes are an inevitability of the urban environment, as the forces of time, temperature, and force take their toll on the construction of the various roads and pathways that wind their way through the cityscape.
Potholes can always be paved over with fresh asphalt, or replaced by a new road surface altogether. But this method, even if it's more labor-intensive, adds a certain touch of class to what would otherwise be an ugly pothole.
"Matt is on both locks, but with different partners."
If these padlocks didn't have the exact same graphic on them, it would be plausible to suggest that they came from two different guys, both named Matt. But the identical graphic and the positioning both suggest that they're both from the same Matt.
There's no need to make assumptions or pry into the romantic lives of strangers, so there's no way of knowing what's going on here. But it does seem like Matt may have some explaining to do the next time he talks to Cat...or to Jade.
"Didn't expect a tortoise to bust through my fence today."
When we wake up every morning, we know on some level that there's no way to predict every possible thing that might happen — but still, we have a decent idea of what to expect.
At the most basic level, we likely expect limited or no interactions with tortoises and fences that stay standing. But the chance of a big tortoise pulling a Kool-Aid Man and busting through your fence is always a possibility, albeit a remote one.
"I found an enclosed, gated, personal reserved parking spot in this parking garage."
Parking garages can be confusing places for folks who are used to standard surface-level parking lots. Their labyrinthine, multi-level design can be confusing, and the parking spaces themselves can be weird with spaces reserved solely for compact and electric vehicles.
Even with these peculiarities in mind, this ultra-exclusive parking space stands out. It's most definitely a parking space, as evidenced by the rolling garage door on the front. I guess someone really wants to protect their ride.
"Nearly lost my toes on an escalator."
At first glance, this pic looks like a still from a horror movie. Fortunately, this isn't the aftermath of a zombie bite, but rather the end result of a battle between a shoe and an escalator (spoiler alert: The escalator won).
This person can consider themselves lucky that their toes are intact, but it would also be reasonable to mourn the loss of these shoes. They look comfortable, and now they're ruined.
"All 7's serial number found at work."
When you think about it, every serial number you'll see on a banknote makes it unique, as the specific number literally only appears on one bill. But finding a repeating number like this is considerably more rare — and when that repeating number is a lucky one, it might be worth buying a lottery ticket.
Interestingly, if you ever find a bill with a serial number higher than 95999999, it's super rare, as these bills have to be cut out of sheets that are sold to collectors.
"I bought another smart car, can park them both in the same space."
People buy these cars for various reasons: Fuel efficiency, environmental concerns, convenience, and more. Perhaps an unadvertised selling point of compact cars is that two of them can squeeze into a spot that's only big enough for one normal car.
Is this compact form factor enough to justify a purchase? Depending on where you live and how tight the parking spaces in your area are, it just might be worth considering.
"The difference in tans between my brother and I."
There are all kinds of factors that can contribute to how tanned your skin gets, ranging from obvious influences like genetics and time spent in the sun to weirder aspects like eating a lot of beta-keratin.
Whatever the reason, there's a massive difference between the tans in these two siblings. It kind of looks like the person on the left is either part vampire or just never goes out in the sun.
"The size difference between me and the opposing goalie. I'm 5'3" without skates and he's 6'7" without skates."
This pic showing two goalies mismatched in size kind of demonstrates, in a nutshell, how the position of hockey goaltender has changed over the years. In the old days, goalies were typically shorter than average, as taller kids were pushed into skating roles while smaller kids went into goaltending.
Over the years, it was realized that there were big benefits to having a tall goalie, and now goalies in the NHL are taller than skaters in average. Not all of them, clearly.
"Hotel I stayed at in Greece had wooden bikes for guests to use."
These fun bikes in Greece might not stand up to harsher winter climates, but they do just fine in the mild Mediterranean air. While they're of a modern vintage, they're actually a throwback to the first bikes, which were made of wood.
Modern wooden bikes generally incorporate steel and laminates in their construction, but the earliest bikes — starting all the way back in the 1810s — were made entirely out of wood.
"I'm the only one on this flight."
If you've ever been the only traveller, or one of very few, on a commercial flight, you know how eerie and unsettling the experience can be. It's hard not to wonder if the other would-be passengers know something that you don't, or if you're about to become part of a Final Destination scenario.
Regardless, the important thing is that you land safe and sound. This person was able to upload the pic to Reddit, so they're fine.
"My son's swim diaper has 'for worst results' care instructions."
Laundry instruction tags are something that most people either cut off or ignore entirely, but they're always worth reading. Not only does it help you understand how to get the most out of a garment, it can also contain some fun Easter eggs.
This isn't an Easter egg, exactly, but it's definitely something out of the ordinary. It's refreshing to see these instructions showing a willingness to confront the worst-case scenario.
"I clipped a baby bunny's ear with my mower two years ago. Same bunny spotted today."
Rabbits are adorable, but they're also not made to last. They have all sorts of predators in an urban environment and aren't generally equipped to live for more than a year or two if they're lucky.
This bunny must be one of the lucky ones. Not only did it survive a potentially deadly experience early on in life, it's still alive and hopping two years after its ear was clipped.
"This restaurant only prints their very short menus on business cards."
There's a happy medium when it comes to restaurant menus: If they're too long, it's hard to get a grasp of what's good and what isn't. If they're too short, they can leave you wanting more options.
This menu definitely runs closer to "too short," but it wins points for its handy size. This form factor is much better than those massive, binder-sized menus you see at some fancy restaurants.
"I was born with four fingers (missing the middle finger)."
It's hard to look away from these unique hands. Not only are they missing a finger, but it kind of boggles the mind to realize that it's a very specific finger — the middle finger.
It's strange to think of your hands going from thumb to index finger and then immediately to the ring finger. It's even more strange to think that this person has no options when they want to communicate aggressively in traffic.
"Coffee served in a cup made of waffle that you then eat afterwards (Netherlands)."
The concept of serving ice cream in a sugary, edible conveyance is nothing new — that's why we have ice cream cones. With this in mind, it's kind of surprising that this method hasn't spread to other treats.
This cup looks pretty cardboard-ish, to be fair, and it probably isn't as much of a treat as a waffle cone. Still, there's undeniable novelty value in drinking a cup of coffee, and then eating the cup.
"A camera-less iPhone issued to my buddy that works at a nuclear plant. No cameras allowed."
Without the heading, it would take a moment to realize what's wrong with this photo. It's the right shape and size for an iPhone, and the Apple logo on the back just confirms it.
Apple doesn't tend to release a lot of variants of its products. These days, phones come in two sizes, with each size having a regular and a pro variant. This photo shows us that Apple sneakily makes other variants as well.
"Security line at a club in New York split into 21-25 and 26+."
This venue has devised an intriguing strategy to deal with long lineups. While both signs carry the same restrictions (must show ID, entry can be denied at the venue's discretion), one is for older patrons and the other is for the young folks.
This is likely a measure to help streamline things for doormen and security guards, as younger people are more likely to have identification that warrants closer scrutiny.
"I saw K2 at sunrise through the clouds on my flight."
When you see a photo like this, it really drives home what a feat it is to climb some of the world's tallest mountains. K2 isn't quite as tall as Everest, but it's seen as far more of a challenge by mountaineers.
If it looks like the peak is at the same altitude as the plane, that's because it pretty much is. K2 is 28,252 feet high, while most commercial flights fly between 30,000 and 40,000 feet.
"Polish snack for hot days: Cold pasta with strawberries"
At first glance, it looks like a bowl of pasta with a tomato-based sauce but while the pasta is just normal pasta, the sauce is a sweet concoction that's made with strawberries.
This dish is known locally as Makaron z truskawkami, which translates to — appropriately enough — "pasta with strawberries." Considering how pasta salads often incorporate cold pasta, maybe this Polish delicacy could attract a following in other countries as well.
"This store I went doesn't sell 3 liter soda, but 3,001 milliliter."
For those who don't speak metric, 3,001 millilitres is one millilitre more than three litres, and three litres is one litre larger than the typical large bottle of soda you'll see on store shelves.
The quantity is, of course, weirdly specific. That's because anything that's 3,000 millilitres or less requires a bottle surcharge to be tacked onto the base price. Anything that's larger — even if it's only by a single millilitre — doesn't carry this charge.
"This group we came across in a forest casually hiking in medieval outfits."
It's easy to lose track of time when you wander through the woods, and the longer you spend in nature, without modern conveniences, the easier it is to imagine that you're in another age entirely.
Of course, when you add in a gaggle of folks who look like they came straight out of the middle ages, that effect is going to be even more pronounced. Credit to these people for posing for the pic.
"An old TV repurposed into a cat bed for my cat's birthday."
Those who grew up before the '90s remember the golden age of televisions as furniture. These old-school TVs were built like tanks and came in wooden cabinets that had real craftsmanship.
Even when the TV tech is shot, the cabinets can be repurposed into something special, for those who have a little creativity. This is one of the best ways I've ever seen to repurpose an old TV. It's like the kitty is starring in its own show.
"Three girls in the same row, wearing the same color sweater, with the same color hair."
In a world with infinite possibilities, where a butterfly can supposedly flap its wings and trigger a wide range of ripple effects, we still seem to encounter a lot of improbable coincidences.
A woman with long blond hair wearing a burgundy shirt isn't remarkable. There are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of women matching that description at this very second. But you'd think the odds would be against three of them sitting together like this.
"This ornamental hand at my local IKEA with the middle finger zip-tied down."
Ikea's vast, warehouse-like stores generally put their stuff on full display, allowing customers to play around and manipulate the various housewares. There are some limits and exceptions though, as seen with this hand piece.
This one can be categorized into "Here's why we can't have nice things." It's hard to believe that the middle finger was tied down from the start. An Ikea employee likely did this after seeing the middle finger extended one too many times.
"My neighbors are moving their entire house back 200 feet."
Moving house usually entails packing your stuff and moving it, and yourself, into a new home. This means that both the new and old homes stay in one place, which makes sense — buildings generally do stay in the same place.
That isn't to say that they're impossible to move, though. It just takes a lot of work. The first step involves stabilizing the building, then lifting it off of its foundations, and — slowly and carefully — inching it toward its new location.
"Last night my wife's Uber had a duck in it."
You see all sorts of things in taxis, Ubers, Lyfts, and every other kinds of rideshare situation. Usually this takes the form of fun lighting, or maybe some trinkets hanging from the rear-view mirror.
This Uber is on another level, as it features a duck. Yes, a literal duck. We're not sure what this driver's rating is, but we're guessing that their reviews all make note of the fact that there's a duck in the car.
"The local blood bank has these signs to show how much blood they have."
It's always fun to see at-a-glance, live information like this. Sometimes you'll see it in parking garages to show how full they are, while other examples might track charitable donations.
This blood bank uses these colorful LED pillars to show how much blood they currently have. It's both a running tally and a subtle prod to get people to give blood. Something like this would revolutionize operations at Dracula's castle.
"Me and my son 3D printed a life-size battle droid. Turns out they were quite big."
There's something delightful about seeing a full-sized, virtually movie-quality battle droid just chilling on a suburban couch. This likely cost a fortune in 3D printing materials, but the end results speak for themselves.
It's kind of funny that the person who posted this seems surprised by the size of the finished product. These droids are humanoid in appearance and stand about as tall as an average person — so if you're making a life-sized version, this is to be expected.
"My son came home with a sticker reminding us picture day was the next day."
Even in the digital age, it's maddeningly difficult for parents to keep track of the various commitments going on in their kids' classrooms. Kids aren't great at making sure their parents receive the forms they're sent home with, and stuff often falls by the wayside.
This school has found an option that makes it hard for parents to miss these updates. They literally apply a sticker to the kids before they go home for the day.
"My neighbor's heated driveway melting the fresh snow."
Is it a waste of energy to install heating under a driveway, just so you don't have to shovel? Absolutely. Are the results both impressive and mesmerizing? Also yes.
The cost of installing something like this, along with the continual cost every time it heats up, would be enough to get most homeowners to just do the hard work by themselves. But after a heavy snowfall, it sure would be nice to flip a switch to make it all melt away.
"The watermark face on this counterfeit US $50 bill."
Paper money has been counterfeited for centuries, and the Mint is constantly trying to up their game to introduce new anti-counterfeiting measures. Counterfeiters, in turn, do their best to keep pace and create their own reproductions.
Most bills have some kind of feature that only appears when it's viewed at a certain angle. This counterfeit bill does its best to mimic the real thing, but the longer you look at it, the more ridiculous it gets.
