From time to time, we come across a picture that makes us pause and think. It could be a beautiful shot, a weird subject, an illusion that tricked us, or something that revealed an interesting fact. Whatever it is, there is no doubt that pictures have the power to make you open your mind and see things you never would have noticed at the moment.
Source: Pixabay
Here, we have a collection of pictures of a lot of different things that will fascinate you and encourage you to learn more about their subjects. Read on to see which ones will interest you the most!
An empty destination
The leaning tower of Pisa is a very popular tourist attraction. But have you ever wondered what is inside the tower? This picture shows that it is just a hollow structure! It also shows the stark contrast between the exterior and the interior.
Source: Dad Patrol
You may be wondering why such a popular landmark is empty. The soft ground that made the tower lean in the first place meant that the tower’s foundation was unstable. It would be unsafe to add a bunch of things and people in there.
A tree burns from the inside
This is a sight that not everybody gets to see. Here, a tree is burning from the inside. Smoke was pouring out of the treetop, making it look like a chimney. Apparently, the hollow tree was struck by lightning.
Source: Dad Patrol
Before you think this photo was edited, you can do a quick search and find a video of the tree as it burns from the inside. This rare incident happened in Sonoma, California in the town of Schellville.
Stained glass on land
At a glance, you would think you are looking at a stained glass window. But take a closer look. There are houses on the darker side of the picture. What you are looking at is actually an aerial view of rice fields.
Source: Dad Patrol
The picture taken from above shows how the big ponds of rice fields in China’s countryside show a reflection of the sky. You can see the farmers’ village on the right side of the picture.
Mismatching wings
Ever seen a butterfly with mismatching wings? It could be a bilateral gynandromorph butterfly. The wings do not match because the butterfly is half male and half female. Although it is rare to photograph one, it is actually a not so rare condition among butterflies.
Source: Dad Patrol
This condition exists in other animals but they are more common in butterflies and birds. These creatures are usually divided in the middle, with two sexes in the body. The condition is caused by an atypical set of sex chromosomes.
Color splash effect
This looks like a photo that had gone through a color splash effect where the people have been highlighted while the rest of the image is in black and white. But the thing is, this photo has not gone through any photo editing effects or filters. This is the real deal.
Source: Dad Patrol
The picture was taken in Japan after the 2014 Mount Ontake eruption. The temple is located somewhere near the summit of Mount Ontake and everything has been covered by ash. The people you see in the picture are armed forces and rescue workers looking for survivors.
Intricate machinery
This looks like a picture of a time machine or something out of a Transformers movie. It certainly gives you a lot of sci-fi feels. The truth? This is how a CT scanner looks like without its cover and frame.
Source: Dad Patrol
Now you have an idea why CT scan images can provide a more detailed image compared to x-rays. The machine can take a series of x-ray images from different angles and then uses computer processing to enhance them together.
City in the sky
This scenic shot looks like it came straight out of a sci-fi movie. But take a closer look and you will recognize a famous landmark. This is actually a beautiful shot of San Francisco, enveloped in fog.
Source: Dad Patrol
Fog is actually a common thing in the San Francisco Bay area. The fog is one of San Francisco’s signature landmarks and has given tourists lots of dramatic views of the city. June is considered to be the foggiest month of the year.
Working overseas
This bronze sculpture looks incomplete but it actually sends a deeper message. The statue, known as “I Viaggiatori” represents the void that is created when a person has to leave his family and country to work elsewhere. It shows that this worker left a big part of him back home.
Source: Dad Patrol
This sculpture is part of a series of bronze sculptures called the “Les Voyageurs” by French artist Bruno Catalano. The series depicts human workers who have large parts of their bodies missing. The missing parts make Catalon’s creations extraordinary and one of a kind.
What’s in a fire engine?
Ever wonder why a fire engine is so bulky and big? What could be in there? Well, here is a layout made by the Geneva Fire and Rescue team. The picture aims to show everyone all the equipment inside the firetruck and how many firefighters it can equip.
Source: Dad Patrol
It quite gives you a new perspective on how much it takes to save lives, right? Firefighters do not only respond to situations involving fire. They are trained to help and protect the public in different emergency situations like car crashes, flooding, rescues, and many more.
Ghost town
This picture will give you the chills at a first glance. It looks like a crowd of ghosts have shown up and are trying to get up that rail. But before you start freaking yourself out or start developing theories, you should know the truth behind this photo.
Source: Dad Patrol
Yes, the photo is legit but the “ghosts” are not. It turns out that this is actually a long-exposure photo of a crowd entering a subway station in Saint Petersburg. The photo was taken at a time when the Soviet Union had collapsed.
Hiking inside a glacier
Looking for a unique vacation that will make everyone you know drool all over your Instagram? You should try hiking inside a glacier! This shot makes it look like the hikers are headed to heaven!
Source: Dad Patrol
This shot was taken inside the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska. The glacier is one of the most beautiful and accessible glaciers that you can find in the world. It is considered a must-see for every tourist who visits Alaska.
When the magic is gone
This looks like an abandoned factory. Could you imagine being alone in this building at night time? You’d feel like some serial killer is lurking in the shadows ready to jump on you. I bet it still look scary and intimidating during the day.
Source: Dad Patrol
But the truth is, this is the inside of Disney’s Space Mountain ride when the lights are turned on and the magic effects are off. The indoor roller coaster with an outer-space theme is considered to be one of the most popular attractions of Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.
How a giant travels the world
We all have heard about André the Giant, the huge professional wrestler, and actor who was called the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” He became so popular during his time that he got to go around the world for his job. But how did he get to travel, knowing how small and limited planes are?
Source: Dad Patrol
According to an HBO documentary, André had to occupy two airplane seats every time he had to travel. In fact, he was so big that he could not fit into the bathroom of an airplane. Sadly, the hormonal disorder that caused his gigantism was also the cause of his early death.
Unexpected layers
Here is another thing most people do not really think about – what is inside a pearl? This picture shows you the answer. It turns out that pearls are made out of layers and when you split one in half, they look like planets.
Source: Dad Patrol
A pearl has three separate layers. There is the inner nacreous layer, the middle prismatic layer, and the outer periostracum. These layers reflect light waves, which give pearls their iridescent colors.
The town inside a crater
As you can see from this aerial picture, this town looks different from the rest of the nearby towns from above. This is because it is built inside a 14-million-year-old meteor crater! This is the town of Nordlingen of Bavaria, Germany. It is a medieval town situated inside the Nördlinger Ries crater.
Source: Dad Patrol
People initially thought that the depression in the middle was a volcanic crater. But when scientists inspected the walls, they found that it was made out of shocked quartz, a type of rock that could only be formed by a meteorite impact.
An unfortunate proof of life
This picture shows a slice of a stump from the Mark Twain Tree, a giant sequoia tree that once grew in the Kings Canyon National Park, Sierra Nevada, California. This particular slice of the stump is owned by the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The dates show proof that the tree had been around since 550 AD.
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Sadly, they decided to cut down the tree in 1891 just so that the trunk could be sliced up and shown in museums to prove that a tree can live for thousands of years. Ironic isn’t it? You can still check out the Mark Twain tree stump at the southwest entrance of the Kings Canyon National Park.
Backstage pass
A theater is such a glamorous place with all the lights, the marvelous seats, and the architecture. But have you ever wondered what it looks like backstage? Well, this photo gives the answer for you.
Source: Dad Patrol
Not a lot of people get the chance to see this side of a theatre stage. Only the cast and crew of a performing play will have the opportunity to do so. You can see how much is going on backstage!
Gigantic driftwood
Driftwood crafts are quite popular these days. These are woods that have been washed onto the shore. The cycle of drying and wetting over a long period gives it its unique look and texture. Imagine all the driftwood crafts that you can create with this humongous find!
Source: Dad Patrol
It would take powerful winds and high tides to bring this giant ashore. This gigantic drift log was found at the shores of La Push, Washington in 2010. The area has a lot of huge trees around it but the size of this driftwood was still surprising for the locals.
A papery shell
Wasp stings are no fun. Although not really life-threatening, it can give you extreme swelling and redness that will last for days. Wasp stings can also make you feel nauseous and vomiting may occur. So, when you see a wasp nest, the best thing to do is to leave it alone.
Source: Dad Patrol
So, you can imagine how scary a giant wasp nest could be. But this picture shows that it is not as intimidating as you think. The bulk of the massiveness is just composed of a softer form of tree bark.
The Golden Gate Bridge cable
The famous Golden Gate Bridge of San Francisco attracts thousands of tourists every month. The bridge has two main cables that run the entire length. In this picture, you can see how thick those cables are. It looks as big as a tree trunk!
Source: Dad Patrol
The cables are actually made out of thousands of smaller cables. Each of the smaller cables is made out of 61 cables made out of 27,572 strands of wire. It is no wonder that the slice of the cable looks like it is made out of dense, thick metal.
What’s on the underside
People do not give much thought and attention to lily pads. They just look like simple leaves on water. But have you ever wondered what is under those pads? Flip one over and you will find an intricate web like this one.
Source: Dad Patrol
What you see is a system of tubes and stems. They are connected to the top of the leaves, which helps the pads float and collect oxygen. The bottom of the lily pads is also a darker color, usually a purple shade. This darker color helps the leaves absorb sunlight easily.
The world’s smallest computer
You may not get this picture at first glance. But this is the world’s tiniest computer set beside a grain of rice. Yes – it is that small! It just shows how advanced our technology has become today!
Source: Dad Patrol
This computer is created by a team from the University of Michigan. This tiny computer has a processor, wireless transmitter, RAM, photovoltaic power system, and a receiver that uses pulses of light to communicate. The computer is used as a precision temperature sensor.
Inside a pool table
Ever wondered what is underneath a pool table? What lies underneath the green wool surface? Here is a photograph of all the mechanics going on underneath. Now you have an idea where the balls go.
Source: Dad Patrol
Did you know that no one knows exactly when or who built the first billiard table? The earliest documented record of its existence was in 1470 in an inventory of King Louis XI’s possessions.
Brick carpet
Here is an innovation from the Netherlands that will blow your mind. Gone are the days where bricklaying had to be done brick by brick. Because of this machine, a job that could take days to finish can be done in just a few hours!
Source: Dad Patrol
This machine can create brick roads that can be as wide as 1 to 6 meters. It is also electrically powered so the noise levels are very low. Watching it in action is actually relaxing!
The planet is not an ashtray
Here, we see a guy showing off the amount of cigarette butt litter they had collected on the beach. The plastic boxes had the words “The Planet is Not an Ashtray” on them. This is actually a clean-up movement that is slowly spreading around the world.
Source: Dad Patrol
It is estimated that there are trillions of cigarette butts littering every public place each day around the world. These cigarette butts are made out of cellulose acetate tow, a plastic material, and it would take decades to disintegrate. Plus the toxic residue left from the cigarettes is a danger to wildlife and the environment.
This picture will make your head hurt
This is one picture that not everybody can look at for a long time. The image of this mug display can make your head and eyes hurt. The longer you try to look at it, the dizzier you will get.
Source: Dad Patrol
Photos like this are like optical illusions that will make you do a double-take. The effect of the mugs hanging together gives the picture a dizzying 3D effect. And this is why we are saving this one for last. Just shows how visuals does affect our mind, right?