Every now and then, a picture will get a great deal of attention on the internet, and that’s at least partially because people don’t know what they’re looking at. It’s dazzling, and it’s fascinating, but it also has an air of mystery. People not only see it as an eye-catching photo but as a puzzle to solve.
But of course, even the wildest and most incomprehensible photos tend to have explanations. And while they seem difficult — if not impossible — to ascertain out of context, that explanation can be surprisingly simple once people have a frame of reference.
There’s only one place this can be found
Cuzznitt/reddit
In the purest possible terms, it doesn’t take long to appreciate what is being shown here. It’s the drain on a bathroom sink with a unique design. Specifically, it’s one that incorporates an airplane in flight and took some special consideration to communicate that image effectively.
Yet, most people may still end up scratching their heads because they likely don’t recall any airport that featured this design. Well, there’s a reason for that. At last report, this design is unique to the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport in Minnesota.
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Who knew artichokes were this lovely all along?
gretchsunny/reddit
At first glance, it looks like someone has captured a rare and beautiful flower on camera. The blossom is a pleasing shade of purple, and it’s unusual for being comprised of a collection of small spines. Were it not for the spiky leaves under it, it would look like a Koosh ball.
However, a Koosh ball would likely be much kinder on the fingers than those spines would be, as this is actually from a kind of thistle. However, it’s actually more common than it seems, as this is what an artichoke looks like when it isn’t immediately made into produce. Yes, it could blossom a beautiful purple flower all along.
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Now that’s some serious cold
GlassturtleOG/reddit
This person’s house is apparently so cold that even the gases that come from their house are freezing. Specifically, this big, wide icicle is the solidified version of the exhaust fumes from their freezer. That’s not just strange; it’s serious.
Although it’s not likely to have many adverse effects at this stage, it’s likely to close the pipe over if it’s left unchecked. Once that happens, that is almost guaranteed to cause a severe carbon monoxide risk. Safety first, people.
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This isn’t what it seems
hybridginger/reddit
At first glance, many people would look at this picture and think they were looking at a giant, unripe banana. Those who are a little more savvy might think that assumption is a trick and instead guess that this is a plantain.
However, the real answer is that it isn’t either of those things. It’s actually a bean. Specifically, it’s a sword bean that’s usually found throughout Africa and Asia. Not only can they dwarf a banana, but it’s not unusual for them to grow over a foot long.
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Nature finds all sorts of little opportunities to be beautiful
aphysicalpotato/reddit
When it gets cold, people can generally expect their windows and everything else outside to pick up some frost. And most of the time, there isn’t much of a pattern to it that anyone can make out. This is different.
This time, the frost formed in a lovely pattern that it would be hard not to want year-round. It’s hard not to wonder how many artists were inspired by similar phenomena centuries ago. After all, it’s always snowed somewhere as long as people have been around.
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This is rare, but it isn’t completely unheard of
RektlessAbandon/reddit
If this person wasn’t showing their whole hand in this picture, it would be easy to assume this was one of their toes. And before anybody asks, the content of this photo was not edited with Photoshop or any similar programs.
As this person described it, they were born with thumbs that more closely resemble toes. However, it doesn’t really fit a one-to-one comparison with any specific toe because it’s too small to be the big toe and too large to be any of the others.
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It’s hard not to assume the worst
911_reddit/reddit
When a whole city skyline appears to be smoking like this, it’s natural to worry that something terrible happened. Although it’s rare, so many major cities have tales in their histories about great fires that seemed to ravage everything.
But in reality, neither that nor any kind of negative event happened here. That heavy mist is hanging over Calgary, Alberta, Canada. And as some may have already guessed, the reason it’s there is the bitter cold that gripped the city at the time. Specifically, it was -22 degrees Fahrenheit.
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There’s no better intruder than this little guy
Augur-of-the-Deep/reddit
Although most people understandably don’t want little insects or rodents running around in their homes, it would take a heart of stone not to want to make an exception for this adorable little creature. Anything with fur that can wrap itself around a fingertip like this is working with some weapons-grade cuteness.
For those wondering what this is, it’s a dormouse. It turns out that in real life, they’re even smaller than the one in Alice In Wonderland. Although anyone who now wants one as a pet should know that they’re reputed to be extremely needy, so approach that idea with caution.
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How many of his passengers never noticed?
psychopathycathy/reddit
When this person got into a cab in Taiwan, they noticed this decal detailing the company’s standard instructions and services. But amid these notices to wear a seatbelt and promoting their airport transfer option is something a little more unusual.
In case it’s too hard to make out, the one at the furthest on the right is saying, “A bachelor welcomes flirtation.” Obviously, this cab driver is single and ready to mingle! But did he put that on his car or is the company weirdly invested in his personal life?
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This raises a surprising number of questions
Original-History9907/reddit
At first glance, this is a curiosity and nothing more. Based on Ronald McDonald’s design here, this old McDonald’s litter bag is likely about 40 years old. It’s interesting to know that they once had these special bags and it might be worth a little money, but why is it here?
That’s exactly what the person who took this photo is trying to figure out. As they tell it, this retro bag just happened to appear in their house out of nowhere. They had never seen it before, so there was no reason why it should have appeared until someone was cleaning out an elderly neighbor’s house, and it somehow blew in here. It’s a mystery, folks!
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Well, it’s a good thing someone thought to explain this
Rhea_Dawn/reddit
Out of context, the sign looks like someone stepped into The Sims. The big letters are all complete gibberish, and it’s hard not to picture so many travelers becoming baffled at what it’s trying to say. But thankfully, there’s an explanation.
For one thing, it’s worth noting that this sign is found in the Australian city of Perth. And that smaller text at the bottom is better at putting the pieces into place. The big letters are a representation of people being rude to the transport service’s staff and an example of what not to do. A more accurate one would probably be full of curse words, but the idea is there.
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This is why water doesn’t work for every fire
Benjah-bmm27/Wikimedia Commons
For many people, there comes a time in their lives where their parents will sit them down and tell them not to pour water on a grease fire with the utmost of intensity. And they were rightly serious about it because this is what it looks like when somebody gets that not-so-brilliant idea.
Granted, this isn’t a genuine grease fire. It’s actually a laboratory simulation that involved pouring a small amount of water into a beaker of burning wax. However, the effect is similar to a grease fire after that water evaporates an an instant and shoots a small geyser of burning grease into the air. Obviously, that’s not something anyone wants in their kitchen.
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It’s unfortunate, but what is it?
Phone_Jesus/reddit
According to Reddit user Phone_Jesus, a severe storm in the Pacific Northwest jostled things at their house so violently that it put a hole in the roof of their deck. And the culprit for that hole is sitting right in front of those deck chairs.
So what is it? Well, this hard metal plate is actually the topper from their chimney. As bad as this is, it could have done some serious damage if it hit someone instead of crashing onto their deck.
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Who can recognize this?
superjanneke/reddit
When an image like this hits the internet, there are so many possibilities as to what made it look like that. Whether it’s crazy filters on a digital photo, strange light damage to a physical one, or just weird lighting in a room, anything could potentially be making the subject hard to identify.
But before anyone started breaking out their paranormal theories, it should be noted that this is just a cat. As for why it looks like this, its picture was taken with an infrared camera. It can make anything look stranger than it is.
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It’s a little hard to recognize like this
enman415/reddit
Although it’s a little too neat and static to be a fire, it’s a little hard to tell what is in this picture at first. It could be cooling lava, it could be a digital texture, or it could be a massive hornet’s nest. However, it is none of these.
It’s a slab of rare wood called Amboyna burl. Blocks like this are smaller than they seem here, but that’s because they’re used to make the handles of knives. They must be some fancy knives.
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This didn’t quite turn out as they expected
poppinpez333/reddit
Since there haven’t been any reports of cities melting lately, it’s pretty safe to assume that this photo isn’t capturing reality all that accurately. But while there’s a glitch at hand here, it has more to do with external influences on the phone rather than any problem with it.
In other words, there are a couple of reasons why this photo could have turned out blurry. Either the photographer’s hand wasn’t as steady as they thought or their phone vibrated right as they were trying to take the shot. Those notifications don’t just interrupt screen recordings.