Below Freezing Temperatures

This is something you will definitely want to experience, but you will need to take a trip to Antarctica. This image is an astonishing picture of what the frigid temperatures there can do. Thanks to something called the Mpemba effect, warm water freezes faster than cold water. This isn't a cloud of dust or powder, but hot water from the flask.

There have been disagreements about the theoretical basis of this effect and even the parameters needed to measure it. However, we can't deny it makes for a picture-perfect scene. There's not much to do other than enjoy the scenery, but you shouldn't try this at home.

Velcro Upclose

Did you have cute strap-on shoes as a child? We're sure you and your parents probably loved it. The straps on the shoes are made from a material called Velcro. This was an important invention in the fashion industry. Although Velcro was mostly found on shoes, it was still used on other things, including clothing.

For anyone who has been curious as to how the strap hold system works, here's a closer look at the material. Velcro features a boon and loop system, which allows for a stronghold. It was invented by Swiss electrical engineer Georges de Mestral in the '50s.

Hanging In The Balance

It's not unusual for driftwood to be found in or around water bodies like beaches, lakes, and rivers. These broken branches and pieces of wood often provide support for certain animals, as well as shelters. However, this one seems to be defying gravity and all the forces by hanging on the edge of this cliff.

Driftwood is normally used in aquariums and fish tanks. It's also often used to make furniture pieces as they are surprisingly preservable and can have a refined style when finely polished. So you can safely fish out the next driftwood you see in the river for your furniture projects.

Bending the Laws of Physics

There's no better place to defy the laws of physics than when out at sea, as proven by this picture. At first, you might think the person has some water-bending abilities, but there's a logical explanation for it. This picture was taken on a ship at sea, and just like everything else, the water tilts when the ship tilts.

The person who took this picture was very determined to capture this phenomenon that they had experienced. Ships experience tilts due to several conditions like waves, wind, or weight, each tilt with a different name depending on the cause. We can't really say which one it was for this ship.

The Act of Levitating

This guy may have been caught showing off his powers, but we highly doubt that. While it looks like he's levitating through the air, it's nothing more than an optical illusion. Optical illusions are visual perspectives that differ from what the present reality may be.

This is simply our mind and eyes playing tricks when viewing things from a certain visual perspective. The guy is standing on a flat surface, but the shadows around him and behind him make it look like he's Doctor Strange in broad daylight. The perspective of the person who took the photo created this interesting illusion.

Rebelling Against The Group

Sunflowers are just a beauty to behold. There's a reason famous painter Vincent Van Gogh painted them. The sunflower belongs to the daisy family and has over 20,000 species. These flowers can grow to over ten feet when properly nourished. Aside from their bright, vibrant color, they need a lot of sunlight to grow well.

This is why they can turn their heads in the direction with the most sunlight for better pollination. This one sunflower, however, was feeling a little defiant. The solo flower wanted to get a little more light before calling it a day. The flexible heads allow for easy rotation despite the strong stems.

The Aftermath

There's something about black and white photos or paintings that piques our interest. Sadly, this is not a painting but a real picture. This photo wasn't of an exactly pleasant situation, but the color contrast created an interesting image. What we see here is the aftermath of a volcanic eruption in 2014 on Mount Ontake in Japan.

The eruption released a massive amount of ash and sulfur which covered the area around. The dotted colored people are rescue workers who went to save those trapped in the temple. The colors of their clothes and vests created a great color contrast against the ash-covered environment.

A Symmetrical Housing Success

Well-organized governments have been able to put certain structures in place, like this village located in China. Huaxi village has a row of almost perfectly symmetrical houses. It looks too good to be true, but it's very real. The layout of the area ensures each house is built almost identically.

We're not surprised at this level of precision. The village boasts of being one of the richest villages and is found in the Jiangsu Province in China. The people also refer to the village as being a model communist village. The village is popular for being a hub of textile and steel enterprises.

Ships In The Sky

We have yet another illusion to behold, this time it’s of flying ships. It would be cool to see flying ships, but what we're witnessing is a Fata Morgana mirage. It is a superior optical illusion that is influenced by atmospheric conditions. The phenomenon is often facilitated by heat over a body of water.

It can also occur on dry land. The name Fata Morgana is the Italian version of Morgana le Fay, which means Morgan the Fairy. It is given in reference to King Arthur's sister, Morgan, who people believed was a sorceress using her powers to deceive and lure people.

Twice as Bad

Having one's home catch on fire would be a pretty disturbing sight. But when nature joins forces, it can even be more damaging. The good firefighters tried their best to salvage the home, but when the fire turned into a tornado, there was nothing more to be done.

Fire tornados are a common thing when strong winds cause blazing flames to spin out of control. It can also be called a fire devil and can be very deadly. There isn't much to be done but to wait it out and steer clear of the area if you ever witness one.

Saved By The Lines

Wildfires have become a common thing in certain parts of the United States. These natural disasters leave a trail of evidence in their wake, like this partially burned-down electric pole. The pole remained barely hung up by the connecting wires on it. How this happened remains a mystery, as the person who posted it didn't give much info.

Not much of the area's power supply would be constant if the electricity pole wasn't replaced immediately. The people were lucky that the flame didn't get higher, or else that would have been a real disaster. Incidents like these facilitated power companies' switching to concrete electricity poles.

Fiery Pooch

The sight of a running dog on fire can be a very disturbing one, but luckily no animal was hurt. The dog in the photo has orange-colored powder poured on its back while it runs free in the park. The photographer behind the shot, Anabel DFlux, took quite some time to plan this timely shoot.

While many may not agree with the concept and perspective, it still made for a great image. With months of careful planning, the shoot was executed, following all safety measures, of course. In the end, we got one happy pooch and an awesome or depending on how you look at it, slightly disturbing image.

A Beautiful Takeover

There’s no denying how beautiful and spontaneous Mother Nature can be.  If you need proof of that, just look at this picture right here. Most can’t tell what exactly is going on here, but they would love the view.

What we are seeing is an illusion, as subsets are caused by the refraction of the sun. Essentially, the Earth’s atmosphere bends the sunlight, and this is what enables us to see the sunset. By the time this is happening, the sun has already dipped deep into the horizon. In this case, what makes the effect so powerful is the reflection on both the sky and the water.

Riding On Water

Some people make rules and others break them. Australian stunt rider Robbie Maddison is on the latter side of things. He surfed the Teahupo'o in Tahiti on a KTM 250 SX dirt bike. Although his motorcycle was modified with rubber skis and back paddles to enable him to ride on the ocean, it was still both dangerous and mind-blowing. In fact, he almost drowned at some point.

According to Maddison, the stunt took two years to pull off. The video, which was produced by DC Shoes, is titled "Pipe Dream." Madison has also jumped across the Corinth Canal in Greece.

Beneath A Wave

Waves are so captivating that when we see them, most people hardly immediately wonder what’s going on underneath them. However, this photographer did a bit more than wonder. Clark Little took a picture of what’s underneath the wave at Waimea Bay instead of the wave itself. He named the photograph "Last Blast."

When he was younger, Little surfed the Waimea Bay shorebreak but now takes images of it to share with the rest of the world. To achieve this, he puts himself inside the lip of the wave as it is about to crash. And get this, Little is a self-taught photographer.

A Different Type Of Dominoes

There’s a good reason why Dominoes are a game night favorite. They are challenging, and that’s what makes them so much fun. However, some people aren’t just comfortable with leaving the game as it is, like this person, for example. We don’t know how it’s all still standing on one tile, but it is. 

Oddly enough, dominoes are actually very old and date as far back as the 12th century. However, the modern version of the game began in the early 18th century in Europe. Surprisingly, the sets are entirely different from one another. And to this day, no one knows why the game is called Dominoes.

Upside Down

The laws of physics didn’t just become laws based on assumptions. They did so because they were proven by many great minds numerous times. Yet, occasionally we see things on the internet that absolutely defy those laws. This picture is one of those things, but there’s an explanation.

Due to centripetal acceleration, the water was being propelled upward at a high pace, but as the plane keeps "looping," it tends to want to continue moving in the same direction, so it is released in that direction. In the actual sense, the plane's inversion or even its transition from a vertical to a horizontal direction has nothing to do with it.

Black Hole

The largest lake in Napa Country is one of the most beautiful sights the world has to offer. However, it’s not natural. It’s a result of the Monticello Dam, which was built to provide hydroelectricity and water to the nearby areas. It is estimated to have prevented millions of dollars in flooding-related damages for decades.

This incredible phenomenon, known as the Glory Hole, is in Lake Berryessa, which filters out the excess water when it rises. The 200-feet dropdown pipe is 72 feet in diameter and has not been operated since 2006. Currently, Lake Berryessa is the seventh-largest man-made lake in California.

Ice Glue

Snow is special. It's a phenomenon that many people around the world are excited about. There are many interesting things about it, including the fact that there must be pollen or dust in the air for it to form. Like fingerprints, every snowflake is different from the last.

However, we’re not just talking about snowflakes, we’re all about this gravity-defying photograph. From the looks of it, the snow must have been here for a long time for it to be so hard. And as white, as this snow/ice may seem, it’s not. This is because snow is actually translucent and not white like many believe.

Open Heavens

At first glance, one might think this is a picture of the sky opening for people to ascend or for aliens to descend. Instead, this odd cloud that appeared over Victoria, Australia is a fallstreak hole.

It is caused when ice crystals that form as water droplets in the cloud freeze, become somewhat heavier than the surrounding droplets, and pull a section of the cloud downward. The ice crystals can form as a result of passing aircraft. These crystals that have frozen over have refracted light, creating a rainbow-like effect. Although rare, these holes can be found in almost any geographical location.

Twin Elephants

If you take a look at this picture, you'll notice the water splashing in the air. Now take a second look, and you’ll see that the water is in the form of an elephant, just like the actual elephant in the picture. We’re not complaining because you can never have too many of them.

There are so many things that are special about elephants, including their large brains. Of all animals, elephants have the largest brains, hence the saying “an elephant never forgets.” Unfortunately, about 90% of African elephants have been wiped out in the past century, and all elephant species are in danger of extinction.

Glowing Roots

This picture right here may look edited or magical, but it's neither. It's a lot of effort from a photographer named Andy Goldsworthy. A British sculptor, photographer, and environmentalist, Goldsworthy takes breathtaking pictures of nature to share with the world.

He finds anything in his environment and fashions it in a very artistic manner. For example, with this tree, Goldsworthy arranged leaves one by one at the base of the tree. That's what left it with this glowing effect. The arrangement is nothing but sheer genius. Over the years, he has received many credits for his work, including the title of Officer of the British Empire, in 2000.

This Is Real

Usually, when you hear something called a water bridge, you assume it's a bridge over water, but that is not the case with this bridge. Also, it's not an edited photo. This is the Magdeburg Water Bridge. It spans the Elbe River, connecting the Elbe-Havel Canal to the Mittellandkanal, and is almost 1,004 yards long.

The bridge was built in 2003 using 24,000 metric tons of steel and almost 89,000 cubic yards of concrete. The construction of the water link started as early as in the '30s, but it was suspended till 1997 and was built as part of a unification project between East and West Germany.

Artist Or Magician

Meditation is one of the best ways to get your body going. So it's not surprising that this artist thought of using them. However, what's shocking is the arrangement of the rocks and how they maintain their balance. This artist, Micheal Garbs, masterfully designed this piece.

According to him, the most important thing in rock arrangement is finding some kind of tripod for the rock to stand on. However challenging it may be, Garbs stated that rock arrangement is a fun way to relax, revive, and relieve stress. Speaking of rocks, did you know that space rocks also land on Earth?

Something Light

Japan is famous for world-class innovations and, it seems, its currency too. The Japanese yen is quite popular worldwide. In fact, it is most often used as a third reserve currency, after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also the third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market.

It’s also super light and perfect to carry on hand, or get this, put on your cup of tea! This coin is so light it’s not breaking the surface of this ordered lemon tea. That could also be a result of the fact that the coins are made of aluminum.

Identical Horizons

Mother Nature constantly shows us new ways to admire her, and we have proof. Take a look at this picture. The clouds look unbelievable. It also helps that there is a body of water beneath, reflecting the image.

Small liquid droplets, frozen crystals, or other particles suspended in the atmosphere of a planetary body or other comparable space form clouds. These are a result of the air becoming saturated when it reaches its dew point or when it absorbs enough moisture. As light as these clouds look, it will interest you to know that they weigh about 400,000 kilograms.

Two Halves Of One Picture

Angles are everything in a picture. That’s the case for this picture. It may look like different pictures in a layout, but it’s actually the same picture and it's not edited. It was posted on Imgur with a caption that said "It's all about perspective" and immediately got a lot of attention.

While some people argued that it could not be one picture in the comments section, others stated that they could tell it was one picture by following the brick wall. In the end, it got almost 105,000 views and most of the 93 commenters agreed that it was a good job by the photographer.

Always Defying Gravity

You already know cats defy gravity. These nimble creatures have numerous tricks up their sleeves. Some of the things they do just leave you baffled. The scope of their weirdness has no bounds. Also, they’re super dramatic. Just look at this one balancing on a toppled chair, soaking up the sun’s warmth! How it's balancing so perfectly, we have no clue! These furry felines live to make you doubt the laws of physics and you

House Of The Rock

While stone houses are today a trendy architectural concept, they originated from somewhere. One of the more fascinating stone buildings is the House Of The Rock, otherwise known as Casa do Penedo. It is a prehistoric monument mostly made of stone. Its foundation was formed with four huge boulder stones and has, over the years, turned into a tourist attraction center.

It was built in the early 1970s and is located in northern Portugal, specifically between Celorico de Basto and Fafe. While it might look like the home of a stone age family, visitors to the town regularly troop in to observe this historic structure.

Defying Gravity

Emil Alzamora is a Peruvian artist who looks at art differently. He uses his art to portray the human figure as something more than a static form. Through figurative sculptures, he distorts the human form to reveal varying narratives and provoke various emotions.

One of his works is the Human Figure, which was made to appear as if defying gravity. While this sculpture is located in New York, there are many other works like this around the world, especially in Cairo, Dubai, and London. Alzamora, in particular, creates his art with concrete, bronze, gypsum, and ceramics, to perfect those smooth surfaces.

A Tip Of The Iceberg

The phrase "a tip of the iceberg"  is believed to have been first officially recorded in 1969, which was approximately 57 years after the sinking of the famous ship Titanic. While the expression might not have been tied to the ship at first usage, it does imply that there is something much bigger underneath the structure in view.

This picture perfectly captures the statement. While icebergs would typically refer to chunks of ice larger than sixteen feet, some of those icebergs could be bigger than a small country. What's more, is that only about ten percent of them are visible above the water surface with about ninety percent deep inside.

The Perks Of Winter

While icebergs could take over a thousand years to form and another three thousand years to melt, black ice in a really cold winter climate can form in just a few hours. In this case, this block of ice must have fully formed around the jeep overnight. Surprisingly, it still held on strong even after the car was removed, resulting in a fascinating structure.

Also, considering the melting point of ice is about 0° Celsius, that ice might remain in shape for a few more hours at that temperature. While it might appear beautiful, ice is a large contributor to road accidents during winter.

 The Floating Crow

While this could probably pass off as a perfectly timed photograph, it's mostly edited to have a striking resemblance to a crow floating in mid-air. A fun fact about crows is that they are one of the smartest birds in the world, alongside ravens. But they are still birds, and just like regular birds, maintaining their balance in mid-air requires them to open their wings.

This natural motion allows them to hold their weight and balance without actually falling to the ground. It is approximately the same way that flapping their wings creates a fluid motion that carries their weight forward, thereby helping them fly.

Balancing A Bowl

While the bowling ball wasn't invented until 1862, the ten-pin bowling ball game had already been played 42 years earlier. It became a worldwide game around 1981, and over the years, people have figured out better ways of making their time in bowling centers more fun.

One such way is by balancing the balls on top of themselves. This endeavor is not only difficult but dangerous. There are varying weights for a ten-pin bowling ball, but they range from 6 to 16 pounds. As such, putting them on each other could be harmful, but the difficult part is balancing them because some weigh more on one side than the other.

Door Handle Skills

Apart from having a flexible back with no collar bones, which helps them squeeze through tight spaces, cats also have great claws that come in handy when they need them. Because they can jump over six times their height, this scenario with the cat on the car door handle would be no surprise.

Though it seems like an edited piece, cats are known to be able to rest comfortably on much thinner surfaces. Their claws play a good role in their ability to hold onto objects despite the texture of the surface, but their balancing skills do most of the trick.

Perfectly Timed Photo

It's no news that you can neither swim nor sink in the Dead Sea. This is mainly because of its density and salt level, which make a body displace a lot of mass. It is also one of the few water bodies in the world with such unique abilities. But in this picture, the man appears to be floating in a water body that is between two to four feet deep.

One thing is for sure, it's no Dead Sea. So what could be the logical explanation? Well, while it could be assumed the photo was edited to create the effect, it could also be a perfectly timed photograph.

Best In Basket Stacking

Handheld plastic shopping baskets are one of the most common utilities in every shopping mall. Their weight ranges between two and four pounds. While they are probably handy, they aren't structured to be suspended the way they are in this photo.

They come in different sizes and can be easily stacked upright. So, stacking them in this pattern would have required not only a lot of time but expertise too. It might also have been a perfectly straight stacked roll of baskets that bent to the side due to the massive weight, making it look like a centipede with the regular breaks in the body.

A Tilt To Say Hello

There are several reasons why a plant tilts or leans at a particular angle. It could either be a fault of its growth process or an external factor. A fault in its growth process implies that the plant leaned due to uneven access to light or that the rooting was too loose.

From the look of things, it might not be either of those two, so an external factor like a storm would be the cause. Storms are known to be able to damage plants, buildings, and even vehicles, so it's possible. In a way, the tilt makes it look like it's leaning to say hello.

Dog And Bones

Dogs have a very strong urge to chew, as chewing things not only keeps them busy but also provides them with mental stimulation by causing the release of endorphins. They chew a variety of things. It could be bones, meat, playthings, or even small balls. In all, the action satisfies that animalistic instinct to hunt, which domestication has taken away from them.

Beef bones, in particular, supply them with calcium, which is good for their general bone health. In this case, this dog took her bone chewing to a whole different level. The edges were chewed in a way that placed them standing.

Ice Dams

While ice is sometimes fascinating, it can be quite destructive to roofs, especially ice dams. An ice dam, to an extent, is just a much larger version of an icicle. Their formation is technically the same in the sense that it involves melting and freezing back from the tip of the roof downward.

Since scraping ice off the roof could cause damage to it, it would have been incredible if they could have slowly fallen off on their own. This one here looks really good. But in the long run, they can cause damage to the roof since they last longer before melting.

The Mystery Of Radio Waves

Radio waves are just a type of electromagnetic radiation. Their frequency ranges between 3 Hz and 1 gigahertz. They are also known to have the longest wavelength in the electromagnetic spectrum, which means their length can range from the size of a football to a planet.

While they are invisible to the eyes, they are paramount in technological communication every day. They are also transformed into sound waves, which are heard as a broadcast. The picture shows a radio wave activity unveiled in 2016. While it seems like a regular photo, the picture contains over 300,000 stars and was considered the most accurate radio survey ever.

The Aftermath Of The Storm

Storms are natural events that are potentially destructive to both property and people. It could be accompanied by thunder, lightning, storm surges, and heavy rain, resulting in flooding. Thunderstorms, for example, occur about 40,000 times each day worldwide. The damage is sometimes bearable, while at times it is fatal. 

An example of the range of potential damage is depicted in this picture. It's an aerial view of the aftermath of a strong storm in Germany. The trees were turned over from the roots onto the ground. Luckily, they fell on the other side of the road and didn't cause any fatalities on the main road.

Partners In The Field

While lavender and wheat are odd in appearance when placed side by side, their origins and functionalities are surprisingly connected. They can both be processed as detoxification agents and can also relieve stress as well as anxiety. Though the lavender has a sweet, floral, and subtle scent, the wheat has a scent similar to raw flour.

The combination of both plants in the picture just shows their oddly beautiful natures. It is a field in Valensole, located in southern France. The farmer responsible for this might not have anticipated them to be such a photo-worthy combination. He could very possibly get regular visits to his farm because of this phenomenon.

 

A Seabound Dust Storm

In 2013, a passenger aboard a ship took this photograph in Australia. This image provides quite a contrast if you look closely. From the surrounding sea, it doesn't appear to be turbulent. So, where did the big red wave come from? Well, this wasn't a sea wave but a dust storm on the sea.

Dust storms may be common in certain dry lands and are caused by thunderstorms. These large gusts of wind stir up dust and can transport it thousands of kilometers away, including over the sea. These storms reduce visibility and can often turn into hurricanes over the sea.

A Muddy Disaster

Good things often emerge from seemingly bad situations, like the mud disaster in Hungary. In 2010, the small town of Devecser experienced a mud disaster when 261 million gallons of red mud spilled from its reservoir. The disaster occurred as a result of storing the byproduct of aluminum extraction.

The result caused a few fatalities and left 150 people injured. It also left its mark in the form of a stain on everything, leaving the bottom half of the place red. The town has since then moved to renewable energy sources and is an advocate for green energy. They now operate on a waste-to-energy system for more efficiency.