Unlocking The Mystery: See What These Enigmatic Wonders Truly Look Like
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
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.
Who knew artichokes were this lovely all along?
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.
Now that's some serious cold
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.
This isn't what it seems
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.
One of these things is not like the others
These are all bamboo stalks but it's pretty obvious that one of them is standing out in this photo. Because while visiting humans have carved something into almost all of them, the one in the front has been left completely pristine. But why?
Is it poisonous? Is it just so new that nobody has had a chance to mess with it? Not exactly. Although the second of those two questions is closer to the truth, it doesn't tell the full story. This bamboo stalk grew in 2020, which meant that nobody who would carve something into it was able to get anywhere near it for a while.
Nature finds all sorts of little opportunities to be beautiful
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.
This is rare, but it isn't completely unheard of
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.
It's hard not to assume the worst
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.
There's no better intruder than this little guy
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.
It looks like a portal to another world
Considering how dazzling and otherworldly this looks, it seems like this couldn't be real. Either it's painted on the ceiling of a dome or it's an extensive Photoshop job, right? Well, not only is this real but it's not even that hard to make.
The person shown here is actually swinging a string of glow sticks around his head. As for why that circle of swinging glow sticks looks like a giant firework, there's also some burning steel wool on the end of them. Finally, the photographer took a time lapse photo to make it look like this was all happening at once, creating the portal effect.
How many of his passengers never noticed?
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?
This raises a surprising number of questions
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!
Well, it's a good thing someone thought to explain this
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.
This is why water doesn't work for every fire
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.
It's still weird when its purpose is revealed
According to The Saturday Evening Post, this turn-of-the-century device was called Dr. Schnee's Four-Cell Bath. It required patients to put their arms and legs in four different tubs of water, at which point an electric current would run through each of them.
It was supposed to treat chronic joint pain, and it had a major advantage for the modesty standards of the time because people didn't need to disrobe to use it. Promoters at the time promised it was safe, and a few people apparently still use it today, but taking safety tips from the early 1900s seems ill-advised.
It's unfortunate, but what is it?
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.
Who can recognize this?
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.
It's a little hard to recognize like this
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.
This didn't quite turn out as they expected
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.
Can anyone guess what this is?
Those who speak German have likely already made sense of this but it's a hard package to decipher for those who don't. However, it's not impossible as there's a little clue for those with some familiarity with one of the romance languages.
Shown here are two portable libraries that German units in World War I and World War II would be equipped with. For non-German speakers, they only clue to the true purpose of these packages is the term "universal-bibliothek."
It's not such a disaster
At first glance, this appears to be a massive tsunami crashing over this highway. But since the road looks perfectly dry, it's hard not to figure that this photo was either taken at a very specific moment before the wave crashed or a still from an Inception-like movie.
However, it turns out that neither of those things is true. In fact, there isn't a giant wave here at all. Instead, this photo captures a bizarre cloud formation that just happens to look like rushing water.
This wasn't just someone being fancy
There's one thing that's obvious about this photo and another aspect of it that isn't. Obviously, this big installation is a bike rack, judging by where it is and the fact that a bunch of people have hitched their bicycles to it.
What isn't obvious, however, is why its so large and in such a strange shape, besides to shelter the bikes from the weather. Well, the answer is that this is part of a program in Denmark that repurposes the used blades of wind farm turbines for bike shelters. It's a pretty ingenious idea.
This might get a little uncomfortable
When something is this close up, it can be hard to tell what it is. It looks like a type of mineral, but that only makes it harder to figure out the sense of scale. Is this a photo of a mining operation or a jeweler cutting a precious gemstone?
The answer is neither. This is a human tooth, and the dark patch is supposed to show how destructive tooth decay can be. That metal implement is tunneling into the tooth, and it normally shouldn't be able to do that so easily.
The throne of the Ice Queen
When it gets cold enough, it can be a little surprising to see what ends up frozen. And that's especially true for objects like this, which look completely unrecognizable when a deep winter chill strikes suddenly enough. But what is it?
It's not likely to be anybody's first guess, but this is one of those grand water fountains typically seen in a town's public square or on a fancy corporate campus. Unfortunately, it's not likely to work well once this ice thaws out because that sudden freeze can't be good for the plumbing.
He's retired now
This would definitely be an eye-catching sight to anyone who steps inside this building. It's so striking and both fearsome and oddly friendly, which makes it hard to wonder what the artist had in mind when they made this. However, it seems that's the wrong question.
After all, this wasn't simply the product of one artist's ambitions. It was a stop-motion figure made for the movie Kubo and the Two Strings, and its sheer size makes it the largest stop-motion puppet ever produced.
This isn't a fitting place for this wonder
According to Reddit User Jenipher2001, the inscription on this display case suggests that this polar bear is the second-largest one ever to be recorded in the world. What's also clear is that it's sitting in a place that has fallen on some hard times.
However, this isn't some natural history museum or library that had its funding cut. Instead, this bear has inexplicably been standing in a largely abandoned Woolworth's store that closed over ten years ago. That just seems wrong.
A weird meal, but it's here for a reason
It doesn't seem likely that a person could easily find a restaurant willing to serve a helping of cottage cheese on some slices of pineapple, but that is indeed what is being shown here. And those wondering why may not get a satisfying answer, but they'll get an interesting one.
Following the announcement of his resignation, President Richard M. Nixon left the White House on August 9, 1974. But before he did, this was the last meal he enjoyed. And yes, by all accounts, he requested this.
This isn't where most people would think
If the firm still existed, this sturdy vault door would be a credit to the Mosler Safe Company. After so many decades, it's as solid as it was when it was built, and it has both its time lock and its combination lock in place.
However, that doesn't mean that it's standing in a bank, at least not anymore. Nowadays, it rests inside a coffee shop that used to be a bank in Columbus, Georgia. Either the owners thought it was cool, or it was simply too difficult to get rid of. Perhaps it's both.
This could happen in so many places
This photo was taken at night in the Canadian town of Leamington, Ontario. This wasn't the result of some strange solar event or a rare weather pattern. Apparently, this is a pretty common feature of the night sky in that town, at least nowadays.
Why? Well, there are a lot of greenhouses in the area. When the plants inside those greenhouses are getting close to harvesting, growers start using red lights to encourage flowering and budding. Once those red lights bleed into the sky, they create this purple hue.
These weren't made; they just happened
Some of the more hands-on people out there may have a few questions about these bolts. Namely, why were they made like this, and what system could possibly require bolts with big valleys in their centers? Well, there isn't one.
That's because these bolts weren't manufactured like this. Instead, these steel bolts just had enough contact with a steel cable to get worn down over time. It would be interesting to know how much time it took before they got like this.
An interesting turn of events
Despite how it looks, this little mineral formation isn't here as some unique decoration. In fact, its presence here is entirely accidental. And it all started because this room got a little more humid than it usually does.
Once that happened, the salt lamp in the top left corner started leaking water. Although the person who took this photo resolved that issue, some evidence that the leaking had occurred remained. This row of little salt crystals isn't going to find its way back into the lamp.
This picture isn't a mystery, but it's about mysteries
Anyone looking for some connection between these photos is likely going to be disappointed because they were all people of personal significance to the owner of this package. However, those wondering what the package itself is supposed to be may be a little more intrigued by the answer.
This crime scene kit dates back to the 1930s, but it's unclear whether it was used in any real cases. After all, it comes from the Institute of Applied Sciences, and how much use it saw beyond the '30s depends a lot on whether or not the criminology student who owned it graduated.
They're going to grow no matter what's in the way
After spending enough time close to something, trees have a way of "eating" things. In other words, its growth will often lead it to overtake nearby objects and effectively consume them in a layer of wood. That's definitely what's happening here.
When the tree is as far along in its growth as this, it can be pretty hard to identify what it's "eating." In this case, it was apparently a road sign. Hopefully, that sign wasn't warning people about anything too important because nobody's reading it now.
That's one suspicious discovery
While investigating a foreclosed house, Reddit user battlebotrob was looking around in the boiler room. Above the boiler were some floor joists and when the inspector looked through them, they were surprised to come across a potentially worrying find.
For those having a hard time identifying it, the inspector's photo shows the slide of a Glock handgun. There's no telling why it was there but the non-nefarious possibilities are remote enough that the inspector was extremely careful not to touch it.
A surprising reality
This is an impressively detailed photo but the perspective makes it very difficult to tell what anyone is looking at. Other than people with very specific hobbies, the odds of somebody correctly guessing what this is seem very remote.
After all, who would have guessed that this was the foot of a dead butterfly that has a garnet the size of a grain of sand balanced on it? That's not exactly something that people see every day. It's pretty amazing, though.
These bottles are effectively the same
From just a glance, it's clear that these Coca-Cola bottles are different sizes. The most obvious difference between them is that the one on the left is clearly taller than the other one. However, these two bottles are effectively the same size.
How can this be? On a functional level, both of them hold 500 milliliters of liquid. Although the one on the left is obviously taller, the one on the right is subtly wider. So, despite the fact that they look different, they do exactly the same job.
It's not as incomprehensible as it seems
From the looks of it, this museum exhibit looks like it would commemorate the discovery of a strange new life form. At the very least, it looks like a creature that turned out heavily mutated enough to end up in a Ripley's Believe It Or Not exhibit.
However, the explanation behind this specimen is significantly more mundane than that, if still pretty uncommon. Apparently, an eel was trying to eat a frog but after the frog got stuck in its throat, it took the eel with it.
The last thing anyone expected to find
As Reddit user FlysDinnerSnack explained, their father's property includes some swamp land. And from the sounds of it, that land isn't something they've made a habit of exploring all that thoroughly. Otherwise, they likely wouldn't have missed this for as long as they did.
This is a steam-powered winch that would have been used to transfer logs or mineral resources to either a flume or a rail car. Neither seems to be around, but it's also true that this winch could be up to a century old. A lot can change in that time.
They got this stuff the hard way
Thanks to the crystalline nature of these large grains, it's clear that this white substance is salt. But the interesting part is how the person who took these photos got the salt into these jars. And it didn't involve buying them.
Apparently, they started with about five gallons of seawater. Once they had boiled it all thoroughly enough to get rid of all the liquid, this was the load of salt they were left with. It's easy to underestimate just how salty an ocean can be.
