The world is filled with many wonders and mysteries. If someone has ever stopped to ponder what secrets could be discovered out on Earth then they have found themselves in the right place. Here is a collection of some of the most fascinating things on our planet that you were not aware existed. So stop what you're doing, grab your computer, and discover which of these amazing finds can actually see in person.
Turning Plastic Into Bricks
Do you hate throwing out your plastic water bottles and being so wasteful? Then you are going to love this woman. Over in Kenya, a woman decided to start recycling the plastic waste from her community and turning that waste into bricks for building. She turned this idea into a startup and is now producing bricks that are stronger than their concrete counterparts. She is an absolute rockstar in our books.
If this woman can accomplish such an amazing task then the rest of the world can surely follow in her steps. We hear that plastic brick homes are all the rage.
The Reindeers Are Glowing in Finland
Have you ever been driving at night and almost crashed because of a deer appearing before your car seemingly out of nowhere? Well, same. Fortunately, the farmers of Finland have come up with a genius solution to this international problem. The farmers sprayed their deer's antlers with paint that reflects light. Now, when deers appear before your headlights their antlers will light up so that you can easily see them on the night's horizon.
For anyone who has nearly hit a deer, this is simply brilliant. On the other hand, the drivers who see the floating, glowing antlers in the distance might get a good scare.
The LED Traffic Lights That Are Lighting Up India
We have all been driving and been behind a rather tall automobile that blocks out our view of the traffic lights. It can be quite annoying and make it difficult to prepare for either stopping or going. While there has been no solution to this problem in most of the world the country of India has LED light strips on the polls of their traffic lights that light up in accordance with the traffic signal.
Now everyone, no matter how far back or close up, can easily see what the color of the traffic light is. As well, it is rather aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
The Secretive Paving Surgeon of France
Do you hate the broken sidewalks in your city? Well, thankfully, there are some insanely talented people out there who could probably handle that problem. However, rather than hiring someone to fill the cracks in the sidewalk with more cement, let the "Paving Surgeon" remedy the problem for you. This French artist, the "Paving Surgeon, is known for filling the holes in sidewalks with beautiful art while the city's citizens sleep the night away.
The result of this secretive artist's efforts is gorgeous mosaics being left where the pavement was previously cracked. The work is ingenious and beautiful and the French artist is talented.
Blind Parents Can "See" Their Baby's Ultrasounds for the First Time
One of the most beautiful things to happen during a pregnancy is when the parents can look at their child for the first time, usually through ultrasound pictures. Unfortunately, there are segments of the population who've never had such an experience because they're visually impaired. However, there is good news. Doctors in Brazil have been 3D printing ultrasound pictures so that blind parents can have their first look through the feeling of touch.
Honestly, this is so beautiful that it brings tears to our eyes. It also makes us wonder how far off we are from just printing off babies rather than giving birth.
The Ghost of Christmas Tree Past
If you celebrate or know people who celebrate Christmas, then you have probably wondered what happens to all of the Christmas trees at the end of the holiday. Well, sadly, it is not good news, but that is changing with the work of a London-based company. This company sells you a tree and after the holiday will replant the tree until the following year. In the upcoming year, you will be given the same tree from last year.
That is pretty awesome. You could end up spending years with the same tree. After the tree grows to 7 feet tall the plant is "retired" by being planted in a forest.
The Museum Is One Gigantic Body
Museums are a great thing to visit when you travel to new parts of the world. However, there are probably many people who would rather not spend their day visiting museums, and we sympathize with those individuals. After you've seen a few, you have seen them all, right? Wrong! The Corpus Museum over in Holland will be the museum that beats all museums. Why? Because the museum itself is a massive human body that you travel through.
You read that right. The Corpus Museum is a massive human body that you can travel through and see all the wonders of your own body. Who said museums are boring?
Sea Creatures Gaining Sentience Makes Boiling Them Alive Illegal
The sea is filled with mystery and wonder. After all, it is one of the most unexplored and least mapped areas left on Earth. With its vast secrets and exciting creatures, one has to wonder about the capabilities of the occupants of the ocean. According to the United Kingdom, some of the more well-known creatures of the sea are considered sentient. Those creatures are Octopuses, Squids, Lobsters, and Crabs.
Sentient means they are able to perceive feelings, both positive and negative. This law means that residents of the UK can no longer boil or consume these creatures alive.
Harvard University's Library of Rare and Extinct Colors
The excellent academic institutions of America are filled with tremendous knowledge and unique discoveries. It excites the imagination to think of what lies behind the closed doors of these universities, such as Harvard. Fortunately, we have been blessed with such knowledge here. Harvard University's library is unlike any other, which holds and safeguards the rarest colors in existence. Their shelves are crammed with pigments from a variety of sources, including rare metals and extinct insects.
While it is sad to know that these colors will no longer be around in our world it is reassuring to know that they are protected from completely disappearing.
The 8,000 Kilometer Wall of Trees
If you are a tree lover or a massive hater of deserts, then this one will pluck at your heartstrings. Throughout the continent of Africa, more than twenty countries united to create a wall of trees. This wall of trees stretches across 8,000 kilometers (almost 5,000 miles) and is preventing the continual spread of the Sahara Desert into the rest of the continent. We wonder how the Sahara will take that insult.
Truly impressive and it is a sight to behold. Thousands of trees transversing the entire width of the African continent. It's something that will make any tree hugger weep with joy.
Blue Lights Decrease Suicides?
Science is a marvelous thing. Oftentimes some discoveries appear odd, but the science backs them up. For example, blue LED lights can decrease the likelihood of someone committing suicide. With this knowledge, the Japanese railway companies have tested and installed blue LED lights at their stations. This has led to a decrease in the number of suicides at their railway station by 74%.
An example of the wonders of science can meet with the public good to create something extraordinary. Next time you are in a railway station you'll know why the lights are blue.
The World's Shortest Bridge Connects Canada to a New Yorker's Backyard
Bridges are one of the engineering marvels that have continued to be relevant for thousands of years. With this architectural device's numerous lifetimes, there were bound to be a few humorous instances of how bridges have been utilized. For example, how about the world's shortest international bridge. Yes, the world's shortest bridge does exist, and it spans international borders between Canada and the United States by traveling into the backyard of a New York homeowner.
Since the New York homeowner's residence resides on a tiny little island between the two nations, one has to wonder how it was decided that the island belonged to America.
The Only Pink Manta Ray in Existence Is Caught on Camera
Once again, the ocean is a holder of many mysteries and natural wonders. Just the creatures alone can fascinate the average person. One of those creatures is the Manta Ray, a creature that holds a close resemblance to its more commonly known cousin, the Stingray. However, unlike Stingrays the Manta Rays don't possess a stringer, and they have either a chevron or black coloring. That was the assumed coloring of all Manta Rays until this photographer captured a pink one on camera.
This is the first pink Manta Ray to have been photographed and might be the only one in existence. Feels like we just discovered the real-life version of a shiny Pokémon.
Prehistoric Plant Lives at the Top of Mount Kilimanjaro
Within the United Republic of Tanzania lies a dormant volcano, known as Mount Kilimanjaro. The volcano is famous for being the tallest freestanding mountain in the world and attracts thousands of hikers a year. With so many hikers the mountain was bound to reveal some of its secrets, and one of them is this. At the very top of the mountain lives a prehistoric plant thought to be long extinct.
It is pretty awesome that an extinct plant was discovered to be alive and well at the top of one of the world's most famous mountains. We can definitely picture dinosaurs roaming around this thing.
The Living Coffin That's Made Out of Mushrooms
Zombies are often a concern for most sensible people. At any time they could be everywhere and come out of any graveyard. Perhaps, for this exact reason or any other, you wish to bury yourself and your loved ones in nature so that, as the bodies decompose, they can be reabsorbed into the earth. The downside of this burial method is that there usually isn't a coffin, since coffins prevent reabsorption. Fortunately, there is a solution... mushroom coffins.
Mushroom coffins are living coffins that are made entirely out of mushrooms. This will allow the decomposition process to happen more swiftly, within three years, and makes the reabsorption into nature seamless.
Minecraft's Library of Banned Books
If you have never heard of or played the sandbox game, Minecraft, then you are in the minority of people. Since it is one of the most popular games to have ever existed its users have created marvels such as one-to-one scale representations of fictional and real-life cities. However, it didn't stop there. A nonprofit decided to build a library within the digital world that is filled will banned materials from across the globe.
This library is accessible to anyone with a Minecraft account and allows everyone to access every book. Whether or not it is banned by your government is of no concern here.
Yellow Penguin Gets Caught on Camera
Penguins are just the most adorable creatures, aren't they? Especially their waddling with their tiny legs. We can't be the only people who're obsessed with these cute animals? If you are a fan of these Antarctica residents then you are probably familiar with their standard black and white coats. Occasionally, you'll even find penguins with a splash of yellow. However, did you know that penguins came in other colors? If you don't believe just check out this yellow penguin.
Due to genetics and the unique properties of melanin, the coloring of a penguin's hair is predecided. However, sometimes nature is odd, and a penguin is born without melanin.
Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards
There seem to be awards for nearly anything in today's society. Some of these awards and their celebration seem redundant, and others, like this one, should be considered a national treasure. The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards are rewarded annually to those with hilarious photographs of animals in nature. In the announcement of the 2020 finalist, two photos were shown. One depicts a giraffe with his photobombing brother by sticking his head out from the side and a turtle flipping us off.
We aren't offended by the turtle's antics since no one likes getting photographed without permission. We can also sympathize with the giraffe since everyone has that friend who photobombs at every opportunity.
Police Issued Paint Balls Help Stop Crime
Being a police officer can be difficult when arriving on the scene of a crime or situation and having everyone run or dive off upon your arrival. It probably makes it incredibly difficult to keep track of everyone and to arrest the appropriate individual. The Japanese have recognized this issue, and have devised a tactic called Bohan Yo Kara Boru. In simple terms, they chuck paintballs at people and cars fleeing from a scene so they can easily track them.
Honestly, this is ingenious. No one gets hurt and the police are able to track down any vehicles or people of interest without the stress of losing sight of any alleged perpetrators.
South Korea's Extreme Quarantine Care Package
The Coronavirus pandemic's beginning was filled with everyone being under lockdown as the world attempted to stem the spread. This time has not been seen as one of our best moments, and the days, weeks, and months spent locked in our homes weren't pleasant. However, unlike most governments, the South Korean government sent care packages to its citizens while they were locked in their homes with little to no contact with the outside world.
As is shown, this care package is truly next level as it is filled with foods and drinks to stock anyone's pantry. While it was a dark time this would've helped people significantly.
Crocheted Canopy of Malaga
The world is full of glorious and colorful places and people. One of the most popular destinations for many tourists is the country of Spain. This country is filled with food, culture, and artists unlike many other places in the world. What makes Spain even more desirable is the chance to see something like this. Local artists in the country's city, Malaga, got together and created a crocheted canopy for the entire shopping district.
The purpose of the collective efforts of the artists of Malaga was to cool down shoppers who would visit the district during the hotter periods of the year. A true masterpiece of artwork.
The Trees Are Growing Out of Trees in Japan
Japan offers an entirely different culture than is commonly seen in the western world. This culture doesn't just offer unique foods and uncommon clothing styles, but also varying techniques in agriculture that won't be seen elsewhere in the world. Take, for example, their Daisugi technique for growing trees for their lumbar. This ancient technique involves trimming the tree's branches so that the tree's shoots continue to grow upwards and save on land space.
The end results feel like they are out of a fantasy world. The trees appear to be growing out of the top of trees and it is leaving us mystified.
The Duck That Ran the New York Marathon
New York City is one of the most well-known cities in the world. Whether you're familiar with it from Hollywood movies or from visiting the city, you have probably heard of the odd occurrences that happen in the Big Apple. Here is evidence of just one of the many weird things to take place in the city. In the New York City marathon, a duck, named Wrinkle, claimed the honor of being the first duck to compete.
If you are wondering why or how this duck came to compete in this nationally watched marathon then you are likely asking too many questions. Instead, congratulate Wrinkle on his accomplishments.
Seeing Through the Walls
Another impact of the global pandemic that shut down the globe for several years was the closure of many museums and art installations. Many of these museums are just beginning to reopen after many months of being closed to the public. One such museum, presumably in France, got a new installation while its doors were closed. However, the French artist, JR, added his mural to the outside of the building.
The mural depicts the inside of the museum, allowing the public to remember what they would have seen if the doors to the museum were still open.
King Kong Visits Japan
The rice harvest in Japan is a rather big deal with millions of farms planting rice. Therefore, whenever it is harvest time, there is a good reason to celebrate. Apparently, in celebration of the year's harvest, artists in Northern Japan make use of the leftover rice straw by building massive animal sculptures. This year they crafted a massive gorilla sculpture that reminds all of us of a rather famous gigantic gorilla figure, Kong.
It would appear that King Kong has left the Empire State Building and has gone international. During his travels, the massive gorilla ended up in the rice fields of northern Japan.
The Gigantic Boat Zipper
It would seem that owning your own boat is a sign of obscene wealth. This assumption is largely based on Hollywood's representation of extremely wealthy individuals. Regardless, what would you assume of a person who owned a massive zipper-shaped boat? We aren't sure, but that person does exist and their name is Yasuhiro Suziki. Yasuhiro is a Japanese designer who takes his zipper boat on rides in the open water.
The reason Yasuhiro created a zipper-shaped boat was so that when he rode on the open water it would appear as if he was opening the water from a zipper.
The Typewriting Painter Who Doesn't Use a Brush
Typewriters were one of the earlier methods of typing before the more the modern keyboard became commonplace. However, the usage of the typewriter did not stop at putting only words on a piece of paper. Here someone created a typewriter that replaces the letters with colors so that colors can be placed on a blank canvas. This adaptation of the typewriter literally allows someone to type out a piece of artwork.
The effects of this technique of painting are leaving us awestruck... or is it typing. What is the correct grammar here, people? Can you say that a painter "typed out their masterpiece"?
Longest Exposure Photograph of the Sun
Ever wondered how cameras work? They are marvelous creations that allow us to capture beautiful sites with the correct technique. If you ever attempted to make a camera out of a beer can then you probably have a better idea than most of how they function. Here someone made a pinhole camera out of an empty can and forgot about it for eight years. The result was the longest exposure photograph of the sun ever taken.
The image is quite epic, especially considering this was all done with just a beer can and a piece of paper. The photographs is quite mesmerizing.
New Zealand Children Are Banned From Purchasing Cigarettes
It is common knowledge these days that smoking is terrible for your health. It can lead to all sorts of health complications and has become widely regulated in the modern world. However, while being terrible for you, many people still do it. With millions of smokers, it is difficult to push through a banning, but New Zealand found a way. The New Zealand government has banned anyone born after 2008 from purchasing tobacco products.
Effectively, this will prevent anyone who is born after 2008 from ever trying and getting addicted to tobacco products and will eventually end the smoking of cigarettes in the country.
Grocery Store in Irish-Viking Ruins
Grocery stores are pretty common in the modern world. You probably have several within walking distance of your house even. However, maybe you have a favorite grocery store? We sure do. Our favorite grocery store is all the way over in Dublin. What makes this grocery store our favorite is that they discovered they were built over Irish-Viking ruins from the 11 century and they built a glass floor so you can see the ruins while you shop.
It is going to be difficult to beat that in the best grocery store competition. Who doesn't want to get their vegetables and see an ancient ruin all in the same place?
A Portal to Another City
Just like the rest of the world, Lithuania was hit dramatically by the global pandemic that shut down the world for years. Unlike other cities in the world, Lithuania's capital did something unique when faced with the impossible circumstances of a global pandemic. They installed a "portal" to another city that allowed people to communicate in real-time with people in other parts of the world. Their goal was to help people connect.
Everyone knows how difficult it was to stay connected with those outside our household during the pandemic. Between lockdowns and everything else it became difficult, but this city made things just a bit better.
Taiwan Professor Goes Viral for His Blackboard Drawings
Attending university usually results in one common lesson, university professors are terrible at drawing. We aren't sure why this is the case, but it seems to be a rule just like how medical doctors have an inability to write legibly. However, that is not the case here. In Taiwan, a professor of science at a local university has gone viral for his blackboard drawings. The reason? His drawings are incredibly detailed renderings of the human body.
It feels like this professor should be selling artwork on the side because this man has an incredible artistic talent, and if not, then he needs to start immediately.
Chandeliers That Create Magical, Terrifying Forests
Artists aren't only able to create masterpieces out of paint and canvas. There are many artists out there who have taken to creating art unlike anything else, such as Hilden and Diaz. These two artists have come together and have begun crafting chandeliers. While the chandeliers are pieces of art themselves, the chandeliers' shadows are where the magic happens. The shadows cast by their creation create creepy but magical forests.
Looking at the image of their chandeliers' effects we can see their artistic appeal. At the same time, those shadows are extremely terrifying and we will just appreciate their artwork from afar.
"Where the Wild Things Are" Comes to Life
The children's book "Where the Wild Things Are" tells a story of a boy who travels into the woods where monsters inhabit, and they make him their King. We cannot say this concretely, but it appears that there is a massive fan of this children's book in Denmark who has been creating giant wooden trolls and placing them throughout forests for hikers to find. Even better, the artist only uses recycled wood for his creations.
Thomas Dambo is this artist's name and his goal is to "lure people away from the concrete cities and computer screen," and we think that it is working.
Hokusai's "Great Wave" Made Entirely Out of Legos
You probably have never heard of the Japanese artist Hokusai. While you likely never have heard of him, you likely have seen his famous piece, "The Great Wave off Kanagawa." This famous piece has been around for nearly two hundred years and depicts boats traveling through stormy waters. Well, it would appear that another artist, Jumpei Mitsui, decided to recreate this masterpiece... entirely out of lego pieces. The results are breathtaking.
Mitsui, the creator of this LEGO masterpiece, creation of Hokusai's work took him 400 hours and used a total of 50,000 legos. We are speechless at the talent of both artists.
The Professional Anti-Procrastinator
It is our shared belief that everyone has some procrastination tendencies. It could be that you only procrastinate a day or two before getting to work or, maybe, you are under the delusion that you can get all your work done five minutes before it is due. Either way, you likely have hoped that there was something out there that can break you out of your procrastination cycle. Lucky, there is, and his name is Xiao Zhu.
Xiao is a Chinese entrepreneur whose job is to text and call his clients to ensure that they are not procrastinating. That is it, that is his entire job.
Winnie the Pooh's Airbnb
For those of us who are world travelers, there have been few things as amazing as the invention of the shared housing economy. The freedom and versatility that are offered by the Airbnb website are unparalleled. As its use became more popular, people became more inventive in their offerings. It would appear that even famous characters such as Winnie the Pooh couldn't help but get in on the craze.
That is right. That is an Airbnb listing that shows a house in a tree. While this might not actually be Winnie the Pooh's house that won't be stopping us from booking it.
LEGO Van Gough's Starry Night
The LEGO company has been involved in everything from movies to toys. The influence of this massive company has also resulted in some insanely successful franchises such as LEGO Star Wars and others. Perhaps you have played some of the LEGO video games, played with LEGOs, or seen the movies. If that is the case, then you might not be surprised by a new LEGO franchise, Impressionist painters. That's right, LEGO Vincent Van Gough.
As you can see, the LEGO company has created a high-difficulty LEGO set to recreate the famous art piece of Van Gough's Starry Night. Now you know what to get your art professor for Christmas.
The Jesus of the Sharks
Virgin births have been all the rage in the modern era. After all, the foundation of Christianity is based around Mary's immaculate conception and Jesus' virgin birth. For some, it requires faith to believe in Mary's virginity, but what if we told you that she wasn't the only one. Indeed, in Italy, a shark, that has spent the last 10 years in an all-female tank, has just given birth.
This is the first time that there has ever been a record of an immaculate conception within the species. This feels like the start of a whodunnit documentary for the Discovery channel.
Russia Got a Three Headed Dragon
Dragons are a fascinating creature that often populates many fictional lands and skies. While it might appear to be impossible to witness these fire-breathing beasts in the real world you would be wrong. Within Russia, there is a village, Kamenka, that constructed a massive three-headed dragon, and they did not stop there. Their dragon statue also shoots real fireballs out of its mouth. So if you want to see a dragon, you know where to find one.
The statue of the three-headed monstrosity is impressive and definitely worth a trip to Russia. Our only question is who paid for this massive creature to shoot real-life fireballs?