40+ One-of-a-kind pictures that actually taught us something

The world is an amazing place with a rich history and countless phenomena that you could spend your whole life learning and still not know everything. However, we may be better off with some things, as shocking and amazing as they are, remaining a mystery to us.

Here are some interesting things about the world that you probably haven't seen before (and might wish you hadn't seen).

This Helmet Is From 490 BC

old helmet and human skull top
Photo Credit: Reddit / joekadi
Photo Credit: Reddit / joekadi

This Corinthian helmet and human skull are relics from the Battle of Marathon, which took place during the first Persian invasion of Greece in 490 BC.

The helmet survived with the warrior's skull inside it.

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Outfoxed By Fatigue

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Photo Credit: Extension-Sun-9651 / Reddit
Photo Credit: Extension-Sun-9651 / Reddit
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Foxes are wild animals, which means they're generally skittish when approached by humans, or even when they're nosing around human habitations.

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That said, every creature needs to sleep, and this futon certainly looks like a cozy and comfy option.

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These Are Bees Swarming To Kill A Murder Hornet

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bees swarming on a murder hornet
Photo Credit: Reddit / gasthefurries420
Photo Credit: Reddit / gasthefurries420
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Murder hornets, which have recently made their way to North America for the first time, apparently aren't beloved by the bees.

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In this photo, they're trying to swarm and overheat this hornet to kill it.

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Classic Tourists

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japans-top-sumo-wrestler-went-to-london-for-a-tournament-v0-kg07ngwz9gwf1
Photo Credit: SerafinZufterey / Reddit
Photo Credit: SerafinZufterey / Reddit
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The urge to take pictures of new and exotic sights while on vacation is universal, so it makes perfect sense that these sumo wrestlers decided to snap a few pics during a trip to London.

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There's something about the juxtaposition of their traditional sumo robes and the modern cityscape of London, though, that makes things feel a bit weird.

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New Album Cover

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Photo Credit: East_Rub_2104 / Reddit
Photo Credit: East_Rub_2104 / Reddit
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This cardboard robot is clearly homemade, with its rough lines and colorful gels haphazardly stuck in place.

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While the robot itself looks a bit rough, it's utterly transformed when in silhouette form. In fact, it makes for a picture for the ages.

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Penguin Egg Whites Stay Clear When Boiled

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hard-boiled penguin egg has orange yolk and clear whites
Photo Credit: Reddit / _POSK_
Photo Credit: Reddit / _POSK_
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I don't know who decided to boil a penguin egg, and I don't particularly want to know.

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But it's interesting that different birds' egg whites actually don't all actually turn white when cooked.

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Bon Voyage

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i-find-this-really-beautiful-v0-ym906qjebd5f1
Photo Credit: [deleted] / Reddit
Photo Credit: [deleted] / Reddit
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The act of scattering the ashes of a departed loved one is beautiful in its way, as we're able to give the remains new life by integrating them into the natural world.

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This method of ash scattering is a bit different, as it's essentially a message in a bottle — and that bottle is the vessel through which Cara's mom will travel the world's oceans.

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Snubbed, But Politely

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my-wife-and-i-sent-a-wedding-invite-to-pope-francis-for-fun-v0-4gf6bkoem6we1
Photo Credit: Misther__ / Reddit
Photo Credit: Misther__ / Reddit
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It never hurts to invite a famous person to your wedding. In the best-case scenario, they might actually show up — and even if they don't, sometimes you'll get a fun note.

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In this case, a couple invited Pope Francis to their wedding. The pontiff was evidently busy that day, but at least his people sent along a kind message.

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I'd Be A Terrible Service Dog

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service-dogs-go-through-a-test-where-they-have-to-watch-an-v0-m0qyzh0oaide1
Photo Credit: Admirable_Flight_257 / Reddit
Photo Credit: Admirable_Flight_257 / Reddit
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This photo shows service dogs enduring what may be the toughest training of all: Watching an entire musical without causing a disruption.

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If I was there, I'd be looking for the popcorn guy within the first ten minutes.

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An Artist's Rendition Of Pangea

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artist rendition of pangea on earth with all the current countries pictured
Photo Credit: Reddit / Handhelmet
Photo Credit: Reddit / Handhelmet
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Scientists believe that all the landmasses on the Earth were originally connected as one large continent: Pangea.

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An artist attempted to show where modern-day borders would fall on Pangea before the continents drifted apart.

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A Glimpse Of Different Lands

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the-corrosion-on-this-faucet-looks-like-a-map-v0-zk5yxg3hfzje1
Photo Credit: Serious_Specter / Reddit
Photo Credit: Serious_Specter / Reddit
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No, this faucet isn't showing a road map of Winterfell (or any other mystical realm). What you're seeing is simply the randomized result of corrosion.

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Even when the cause is fully understood, it's downright uncanny just how much those lines look like a fantasy map.

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A Whirlwind Romance

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Photo Credit: Subject-Property-343 / Reddit
Photo Credit: Subject-Property-343 / Reddit
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If you're going to turn your marriage proposal into a photo op, you're going to want a memorable backdrop.

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This random field in South Dakota is scenic if a bit boring, but the straight-up tornado in the background elevates it significantly.

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Grab The Necessities

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Photo Credit: BetterCallSaul1995 / Reddit
Photo Credit: BetterCallSaul1995 / Reddit
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If you've ever been woken up by an earthquake and fear that your home may collapse, you know what it's like to run outside after grabbing anything important you can think of.

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Most people would gather up kids and pets, along with important medications and maybe jewelry. This guy, though, made sure to grab his PlayStation 5 and nothing else — not even a shirt.

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Positively Kubrickian

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a-jar-of-beetroot-leaked-in-the-fridge-and-it-looks-like-a-v0-3u730lxsrdxf1
Photo Credit: MuttapuffsHater / Reddit
Photo Credit: MuttapuffsHater / Reddit
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The stark minimalism of the glossy white backdrop along with the mechanical vibe of the various vents and angles, along with — most importantly — the crimson pool makes this look like a scene from a Kubrick film.

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As it turns out, this is just the bottom of a very clean fridge after a jar of beetroot juice sprung a leak.

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This Is What The Inside Of A Passenger Plane Used To Look Like

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inside of a passenger plane has wicker seats
Photo Credit: Reddit / DrFetusRN
Photo Credit: Reddit / DrFetusRN
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It's shocking to see in comparison to the current neat rows of seats we're used to seeing on planes.

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But this is what the cabin of a passenger plane looked like in 1930.

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This Computer Store Has Been Left Untouched Since 2002

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computer store from 2002
Photo Credit: Reddit / 4609203
Photo Credit: Reddit / 4609203
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Since the beginning of the digital age in the 1990s, technology has changed at an extremely rapid rate.

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In fact, it's hard to believe the contents of the store were the latest models less than 20 years ago.

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The Cherry Blossom Tunnel Of Germany

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street lined with ping cherry blossom trees
Photo Credit: Reddit / Sapulinjing
Photo Credit: Reddit / Sapulinjing
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Located in the town of Bonn, Germany, this street lined with Japanese cherry blossoms is one of the most beautiful in the world.

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The trees were gifted to Germany by Japan in the 1980s, but they have a short blooming period, so this is a rare sight.

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This Carving Dates Back 10,000 Years

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carving of a giraffe in a rock
Photo Credit: Reddit / YoloForJesusChrist
Photo Credit: Reddit / YoloForJesusChrist
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This 10,000-year-old carving of a giraffe was found in the Sahara desert.

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It is actually believed that the Sahara desert used to be a lush, green land, meaning that giraffes likely lived in the area back then.

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Camouflage At Its Best

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owl entirely blends into tree trunk except for face
Photo Credit: Reddit / Killjoys13
Photo Credit: Reddit / Killjoys13
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Thousands of years of evolution have helped animals become extremely well-suited to survive in their respective habitats.

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Not only do owls have 360° vision, but many also blend almost seamlessly into their environments.

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This Is A Very Resilient Tree Trunk

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woman on tree trunk sticking vertically out of water in middle of the lake
Photo Credit: Reddit / taykaybo
Photo Credit: Reddit / taykaybo
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The Old Man of the Lake is a 30-foot-tall tree stump, most likely a hemlock tree.

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It's been bobbing vertically in Oregon's Crater Lake since at least 1896.

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This Is The Rarest Pasta In Italy

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pasta dish in pot
Photo Credit: Reddit / muhjeandaywalaburger
Photo Credit: Reddit / muhjeandaywalaburger
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Su filindeu is a handmade Italian pasta that only three women in the world know how to make.

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It is so difficult and time-consuming to make that it wasn't available to the public for 200 years.

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These Are Vietnamese Mossy Frogs

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person holding four moss-looking frogs in one hand
Photo Credit: Reddit / indiaviews
Photo Credit: Reddit / indiaviews
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This species of frog is dominantly found in northern Vietnam and southeastern China.

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Their skin, which resembles moss on a rock, acts as camouflage from predators, and they curl into a ball when scared.

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This Is A Photo Of The Everglades

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dozens of alligators with heads peaking out of water
Photo Credit: Reddit / hiimcoleman
Photo Credit: Reddit / hiimcoleman
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Approximately 200,000 alligators live in the Everglades, but over 1.5 million live in the state of Florida alone!

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Despite popular beliefs perpetuated by films, it is quite rare for alligators to eat humans. They do attack at times, so it's best to steer clear of gators altogether.

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A Sundial That Delivers A Readable Time

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physical sundial translates shadow into digital clock reading in shadow
Photo Credit: Reddit / r-slash-randomname
Photo Credit: Reddit / r-slash-randomname
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This sundial was 3D-printed with grooves so that, depending on the heigh of the sun, the light coming through it would create a readable time like a digital clock face in the shadow.

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This is pretty cool.

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I Never Realized How Small The Earth Is In Comparison To The Sun

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scale of all the planets and sun in our solar system show how tiny the earth is in comparison
Photo Credit: Reddit / NaiveBeast
Photo Credit: Reddit / NaiveBeast
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Outer space can be really hard for a person who doesn't have a background in astronomy to conceptualize.

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So this scale model of the sun vs. the planets of our solar system really adds perspective.

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Not Your Typical Grand Canyon

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clear blue water stream through a gap in the ice
Photo Credit: Reddit / nocturnalinstinct23
Photo Credit: Reddit / nocturnalinstinct23
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This is a photo of the Grand Canyon found in Greenland, which is a little icier than the one in Arizona.

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Its impressive length (more than 466 miles!) was first discovered in 2013 under a giant ice sheet.

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In A Galaxy Far, Far Away...

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metal work on the ground in the desert
Photo Credit: Reddit / bhavjotpahuja
Photo Credit: Reddit / bhavjotpahuja
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These leftover pieces from a filming location for the original Star Wars movie, Episode IV: A New Hope, were left behind in the Tunisian desert.

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The location was used as Luke, the main character's, home.

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The First Step To Buying A Neon Sign

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briefcase full of neon lights
Photo Credit: Reddit / ClandesTyne
Photo Credit: Reddit / ClandesTyne
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Back in the day, traveling salesmen were the main way that companies could sell products to businesses.

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This is what a neon light salesman carried in his case to show potential clients in 1930.

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Never Underestimate The Power Of A Strong Wind

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tree grows horizontally parallel to the ground
Photo Credit: Reddit / justmyaccount624
Photo Credit: Reddit / justmyaccount624
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This tree is located near to Greenough in Western Australia.

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There, the wind blows so powerfully and consistently that trees that aren't protected by any wind-breaking objects actually grow sideways.

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The Tomb Is Lined With Lead

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marie curie
Photo Credit: Reddit / -Schroeder-
Photo Credit: Reddit / -Schroeder-
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This is the tomb of legendary scientist Marie Curie located in the Panthéon in Paris.

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Her tomb was created with an inch-thick barrier of lead to protect visitors from radiation because her remains are still radioactive to this day.

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The Skeleton Of A Stingray

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skeleton of sting ray
Photo Credit: Reddit / DopeyBoi123
Photo Credit: Reddit / DopeyBoi123
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It never really occurred to me that these floppy water pancakes would have any sort of skeletal support beyond a spine.

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So this photo simultaneously amazes and terrifies me.

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Get This Owl A Modelling Contract!

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owl with fluff lifted to expose long, slim legs
Photo Credit: Reddit / GallowBoob
Photo Credit: Reddit / GallowBoob
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I don't know how I expected owl legs to look, but it definitely was not like that.

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As a predatory species, owls tend to snatch their prey up using their claws which are clearly attached to their long legs.

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This Looks Like The Passageway To Hell

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square shaped hole in ground goes hundreds of feet deep
Photo Credit: Reddit / TwoSquareClocks
Photo Credit: Reddit / TwoSquareClocks
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A natural sinkhole opened up in the British area called Cornwall and happened to fall into a mineshaft from the medieval ages that went 300 ft. down into the ground.

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Wow, that's deep.

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This Is The Skeleton Of A Puffer Fish

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skeleton of a puffer fish
Photo Credit: Reddit / njetak
Photo Credit: Reddit / njetak
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I originally thought that a pufferfish had the structure of a balloon with a flat skeleton like most other fish.

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However, the skeletal structure extends into the spines and expands with the fish as it puffs up.

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Crop Circles, But Make It Trees

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trees planted in circles
Photo Credit: Reddit / Ordner
Photo Credit: Reddit / Ordner
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These odd tree formations are located in Japan.

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The trees were carefully planted, trimmed, and maintained over half a century in order to grow into these circular shapes that look very similar to crop circles.

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It Turns Out That Sunsets Are Cool From All Angles

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red tinge shown across line separating light from dark on earth's surface
Photo Credit: Reddit / armyfidds
Photo Credit: Reddit / armyfidds
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This picture shows what a sunset looks like from space.

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The red line across the surface is created because at this angle, the sun has to go through more layers of atmosphere, causing the light to refract off of particles in the air and appear more red.

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Wolves Are Bigger Than You Think

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woman sits next to wolf, which is significantly taller than her
Photo Credit: Reddit / britweins
Photo Credit: Reddit / britweins
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Luckily, most people haven't been face-to-face with a wolf, so it's hard for the average person to know just how large these relatives of dogs are.

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This one lives in a rescue that cares for wolf-dogs who are taken for domestication then abandoned by owners once they get too big.

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An Easy Way To Prevent Plastic Waste

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drug store has refill station for products
Photo Credit: Reddit / Lord-AG
Photo Credit: Reddit / Lord-AG
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This drugstore in the Czech Republic has stations where customers can bring their own containers to refill shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc.

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More places across the world are offering zero-waste shopping options to prevent plastic waste.

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This Style Uses Fewer Bricks Than A Straight Wall

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Untitled design - 2020-09-28T155238.964
Photo Credit: Reddit / smell1s
Photo Credit: Reddit / smell1s
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It might sound counterintuitive, but this wavy design that's sometimes seen in England uses fewer bricks than a straight wall.

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This is because the wave structure adds strength that a straight wall would require at least three layers of bricks to achieve.

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These Are Prosthetic Fingers

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prosthetic fingers fit over hand like a half glove
Photo Credit: Reddit / Rewster27
Photo Credit: Reddit / Rewster27
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Most of us have seen a prosthetic leg or a prosthetic arm in our life, but prosthetic fingers are a relatively new medical invention.

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They still haven't reached popular use yet.

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This Is The Cutest Rendition Of A Skin Suit

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lizard wearing the his shed skin like a suit
Photo Credit: Reddit / GallowBoob
Photo Credit: Reddit / GallowBoob
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Normally, the concept of someone or something wearing a suit made out of skin is terrifying.

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But this gecko who is in the midst of shedding his outer layer looks so adorable.