Confounding Images That Became True Internet Mysteries
Although most bizarre internet pictures hit viewers with the depths of their insanity right off the bat, some are a little more subtle in their strangeness. Indeed, they seem perfectly normal until one sharp-eyed commenter says, "Hey, wait a minute."
Then, they become just like the arrows in the Fed-Ex logo because nobody ever looks at them the same way once they notice them. Naturally, that puts commenters on an even more maddening quest to solve the mystery behind what they're seeing.
What happened here?
This elaborate mark either suggests that a giant, dirty centipede walked through here or something burned a bizarre pattern into the sidewalk. Fortunately for anyone squirming right now, this wasn't the work of anything that creeps or crawls.
And while it would be close to say that lightning struck the pavement, that's not exactly what happened here either. Instead, the tree branch-like patterns, the glassy texture of the concrete, and the black tint all tell a specific story. Some downed power lines scorched this spot.
How can he stay so calm?
At first, this picture seems to suggest that something terrible yet seemingly impossible happened. How did this man manage to put his javelin through his head while he was competing? And why isn't he bleeding or reacting to it at all?
As a close look at this photo reveals, that's because he's completely unharmed. He's holding the javelin behind his head but a perfectly-aligned shadow over it is giving the impression that it's sticking out of his face. What a crazy illusion!
It's a preciously tiny pup, but there's a catch
Upon looking at this photo, it's likely that so many people were ravenously wondering where they could get a dog this tiny. There are some seriously cute little dogs but one that can fit in someone's hand seems like a dream come true.
Unfortunately, that's just a supreme compliment to the artist who made this. Sadly, this dog is made out of felt and can't legitimately be bred for real. That doesn't make it any less cute or the artist any less talented, though!
Don't worry, there's no plumber required
While it's true that all sorts of unpleasant things can ooze out of a clogged sink, that ooze is usually black or brown. Unless a candy company is tainting the local water supply or something, this shouldn't ever be something that happens.
In fact, that's why it isn't happening. Yes, it turns out there's actually nothing wrong with the sink. It's just that a strange visual glitch with the camera is making this sink look like it came out of the staff room at a funhouse.
What is this thing? Something unexpectedly familiar
From the looks of it, this naturally occurring little disc is exactly the sort of thing that someone would discover and then excitedly ask the internet what it is. However, the uploader not only knew what this was but why it looks like that.
As it turns out, this person is holding an oddly flat hailstone. Apparently, this is how hail can turn out when it falls during a thunderstorm. It looks like a cup coaster, but it would cause a bigger mess than it would prevent.
There's some debate as to what's happening here
Although the sky and overall environment outside appears to be purple in this photo, it was a little hard for people to agree on why that was. Some figured that a tornado was brewing, while others were sure that a green sky was more indicative of that problem.
However, someone eventually solved the mystery with a stunning revelation: The sky isn't purple at all. Since the camera was white balanced using this indoor lighting, the outside light appears more purple than it actually is.
Something caused this and it wasn't a bird or a plane
It's always fascinating to see a rare, weird cloud in the sky. And that's doubly true when it's both as colorful as this one and shows no obvious signs of how it came to be. However, this mystery isn't so hard to solve.
Although some commenters were entranced by the "glow cloud" when Reddit user JVillan uploaded this, one of them figured out what was going on once they confirmed they took this in Florida. At the time, one of SpaceX's rockets had just launched from there and apparently illuminated the sky enough to make this cloud glow.
It sucks that even ghosts have to commute
As amazing as it would be if the "get off my train" guy from the movie Ghost was based on a real person, the disappointing reality is that this photo isn't capturing any paranormal activity. So why does this sharply dressed man appear to have transparent legs?
Well, whoever took this was looking at an empty seat but the window of the train they were looking through captured the reflection of a man they were riding with. That reflective confusion accidentally led to the same ghostly illusion that they achieve on purpose at the Haunted Mansion in Walt Disney World.
This is as good of a picture as one can take of this
Although a blurry, eye-strain inducing photo like this is usually the result of a poorly taken photo, this cloth just looks like this. It's a motorcycle cover that will definitely stand out from any other one most people are likely to see.
So why is it like this? Apparently, it obscures the features of the vehicle it's covering, which makes potential thieves confused about what they'd be stealing. Plus, it's probably not any easier to focus on in person.
This photo has not been edited in any way
Every now and then, a movie or show will splice animated characters into a real scene to make it look like real people are taking to cartoon characters. Whether they saw it in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? or Space Jam, it's an effect most people are familiar with.
However, that is not what's happening here. Instead, this is a real sculpture that the artist has paid such close attention to shading that it looks like a cartoon structure that's been Photoshopped into the real world. It's pretty amazing!
Some of these bannings seem more justified than others
In case they're a little too hard to read, this is a bar's "wall of shame" chronicling all the patrons who have been banned from this bar and why. For the most part, the reasons make perfect sense, as the problem patron was harassing staff, stealing people's stuff, or making violent threats.
However, the most fascinating and mysterious one concerns "Fake Fur David," who was banned for his "sassy pants." How sassy could those pants have been to warrant a punishment on the same level as the customers who made felonious threats? Now everyone wants to see them.
How did this idea even come up?
It's unclear why they thought this would be a good idea, but it seems like the employees at one Burger King location thought that serving burgers and fries wasn't giving their customer base all they had to offer.
So, as these photos make clear, they decided to start piecing customer's navels and advertised their willingness to do that on the sign outside. Although it's impressive that one woman was able to do this while taking a drive-through order, it seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen.
This isn't the set for some panda-based horror movie
Although the mother panda playing with her cub makes for a cute visual, it's hard not to be a little a creeped out by the other scraggly looking panda figures endlessly staring. Unfortunately, that's the opposite of the effect they're supposed to have.
That's because this is a panda park in China, where real pandas and their adorable cubs are viewable by the public in a mostly natural setting. However, the areas intended for children also have these little statues. They probably looked more welcoming when they were installed.
An accidental sculpture
At first, it's hard not to picture this as anything but intentional. Considering the pistol grip on this carved piece of ice and the blade on the end of it, it looks like someone made a sidearm version of the chainsaw guns from the video game Gears Of War.
However, it's a complete coincidence that this ice figure happens to look like that. Apparently, this is simply what happened to come out of a fridge's broken ice machine. It's a creative defect, at least.
Don't worry, aliens haven't invaded
Upon seeing these towering pillars, one could be forgiven that the day they saw them was the day humanity made contact with extraterrestrial life. Although the truth is fascinating, it's sadly not quite as exciting as the idea of such a close encounter.
So what's really going on? Ice crystals in the atmosphere are reflecting light in such a specific way as to cause these thin, bright light pillars. It's a rare phenomenon but one that could conceivably happen almost anywhere.
What's holding that cake up?
This photo has a retro feel to it, whether that's due to its genuine age or because it's dedicated to capturing a bygone aesthetic. And while the clothes play their part in that, the fact that it was taken with a classic Polaroid camera is the main factor at hand.
However, that retro tech is also responsible for the confusion here since it makes the photo a little blurrier. As a result, it now seems like a slice of cake is standing upright on one woman's chest. The woman on the left is probably holding it, but where's her hand?
Somebody forgot what country they live in
This looks like the kind of confusing entry sign that Bugs Bunny would paint to throw Elmer Fudd or Yosemite Sam off his trail, but this was the result of someone legitimately trying to design a parking garage.
Unfortunately, it seems that their vision for how this would look was based on an American parking garage because they forgot that Australians drive on the left side of the road. Since they had already put the entrance and exit signs down when they realized this, the only remaining option was to draw confusing arrows.
It's just a little bit off-side
At first, it's pretty easy to look at this picture and not see anything too wrong with it. This person has the standard number of fingers and each finger looks like it corresponds to one on the average hand.
However, the truly mystifying part of this photo only reveals itself when someone tries to recreate it. The thumb isn't normally supposed to bend that way, so the uploader must be incredibly flexible to put their hand in this position.
Believe it or not, there's a reason for this
Considering that it's hard to think of a reason for a diagonal drawer in most cases, it would be hard for the uploader not to think that they're getting a checkup at Pee-Wee's Playhouse. However, the reality is that it's just an optometrist's office.
Apparently, this is called a refracting desk and it's able to turn diagonal as a means of showing off trial lenses when someone's considering a new pair of glasses. After all, those lenses to have work from all angles.
Who is this character?
At first, there's nothing too out of the ordinary about this character. Even those who recognize it as the style of Charles Schulz may figure that it's a picture of Marcie, Peppermint Patty's friend who kept calling her "sir."
However, Reddit user mandobaxter explained that this was from the cover of Comics Journal magazine, which interviewed Schulz in 1997. To date, it's the only time Schulz actually drew one of his adult characters, but it remains sadly unknown who she is. Charlie Brown's mom? His teacher? It's a mystery.