Planet Earth never ceases to amaze us. From its natural treasures to its man-made wonders to its rich history, the world is truly unbelievable. It’s the birthplace of many wonderful and beautiful things and home to countless mysteries just waiting to be uncovered. But unfortunately, our fast-paced lifestyles tend to push the lightspeed button that keeps us going, going, and going until we completely forget our surroundings. So let’s slow down and refresh our memory a bit, shall we?
Here’s where the ‘Weird, Wonder And Strange’ Facebook group comes in. With over 235k members, it regularly shares equally fascinating and bizarre faces of our planet. This social media project aims to prove that there are plenty of mind-boggling things happening just outside the comfort of our homes. And we don’t even need to go anywhere to see them.
We at Bored Panda invite you to take a peek into this corner of the internet by scrolling through the vivid compilation of pictures we’ve gathered right below. So sit back, grab a cup of tea, and enjoy witnessing these unique gems. Then upvote the ones you loved most, and let us know what you think of them in the comments. And if you’re hungry for more, be sure to check out our earlier piece filled with pics that kindled our fascination with the world right here.
#1 In A Children’s Hospital Of Italy – Therapeutic Dogs Are Impatiently Waiting To See Their Respective Children
Image credits: Mari Gavasheli
#2 From Different Breeds Of Chickens, The Natural Colors Of Egg Shells, So Lovely!
Image credits: Malin Chinthaka
#3 This Incredible Photo Which Gives The Impression That The Sky Whispers To The Earth
Image credits: Shevon Adrian Nimesh
Facebook groups like the ‘Weird, Wonder And Strange’ and the ‘Weird Wonder And Strange 2’ are the perfect examples of just how generous the world is with throwing things at us to think about. And often, we don’t even need to lift a finger to realize there are plenty of interesting things happening around us. Whether it’s oddities within nature that capture our attention, architectural wonders that consistently surprise us, or the power of human kindness — there are so many elements left to discover about our home planet.
But more often than not, we get stuck in our routines, sounds, and sights that swiftly make our daily living boring. Taking the same commute and speaking to the same people each morning several times per week means we become so familiar with our surroundings, we may miss the magic around us. So it makes perfect sense that we humans should strive to learn and experience more, right?
That’s why social media projects like this are bound to catch our eye. Sharing interesting facts and images we never knew about before makes us feel stimulated to find yet another brand new sight to see. And as it turns out, our brains are actually wired to appreciate and seek out novelty.
#4 I Am A Wire Wrapper! This Is My Latest Pendant, A Marble Fox Head. No Heat, No Glue, No Power Tools, Just A Pair Or Pliers And Wires Wrapped Around Other Wires
Image credits: Kawshika Samarathunga
#5 He Found This Stray Puppy During Combat. after A Lot Of Struggle He Got Him Back To The US So They Spend Lifetime Together
Image credits: Kawshika Samarathunga
#6 Perfect Shot Of A Red-Billed Oxpecker, Resting On The Horn Of This Rhino
Image credits: Malin Chinthaka
As Joshua Klapow, Ph.D., a psychologist and creator of Mental Drive, previously explained to Bored Panda, we naturally adapt to things that happen frequently and regularly. “We literally are hardwired to move the common occurrences into the background of our consciousness so that we can look out for novel things,” he said. “This happens because things that are not obvious, that are not common, that stand out, could pose a threat to our well-being, or could be something really rewarding.”
Psychologist Klapow pointed out that we often take things we do and see every day for granted, “only to pay more attention to those actions and interactions that grab our attention. The obvious goes in the background, so we reserve brain bandwidth to notice the novel, standout occurrences in our life.”
#7 This Palm Tree Fell Over, Refused To Die, And Curved Right Back Up
Image credits: Shevon Adrian Nimesh
#8 A Four-Year-Old Boy Named “Dominic” Surprised His Mother By Bringing A Baby Deer Home After Returning From The Woods In The Backyard Because He Considered The Deer His Friend, And The Mother Took A Picture Of Them
Image credits: Gasparek István Zoltán
#9 Pencil Drawing By 16 Year Old Irish Artist Shania Mcdonagh
Image credits: Kawshika Samarathunga
Seeking new experiences — even comparatively minor ones — also makes us feel genuinely delighted. “There is a connection between novelty and happiness,” Dr. Laurie Santos, a cognitive scientist who teaches the “Psychology and the Good Life” course at Yale, told GQ.
“Novel stimuli tend to activate regions of our brain that are associated with rewards.” But there’s more than just the dopamine rush: “Novel things also capture our attention … you’re more likely to notice things and be present. There’s lots of evidence that simply being more present can improve our mood and happiness,” Santos explained.
#10 This Is Bioluminescent Phytoplankton, Making The Ocean Look Like Something From A Sci-Fi Movie!
Image credits: Malin Chinthaka
#11 The Incredible Size Of A Grizzly Bears Paw This Picture Was Taken After The Bear Was Sedated To Be Tagged And Released. This Bear Is Alive
Image credits: Mari Gavasheli
#12 This Is A Place In Iceland Where Green Fields, Yellow River, Black Beach And Blue Sea Meet!
Image credits: Malin Chinthaka
Moreover, novel experiences seem to be beneficial for the development of our brains and our moods. Clinical psychologist and affective neuroscientist Dr. Aaron Heller is a co-author of a study that tracked enlisted subjects from New York and Miami and monitored their spirits. The researchers then did a further analysis in which they took notice of how many new places participants visited.
#13 Mama Lynx And Her Seven Kittens Visited The Front Porch Of A House In Alaska. It’s Unusual To See Such A Large Litter
Image credits: Priyan Bopitiya
#14 48 Different Colors Of The Moon, All Photographed At Different Places In Italy In A Time Span Of 10 Years
Image credits: Malin Chinthaka
#15 A Couple With Down Syndrome Who Were Told Not To Marry Still Proving Critics Wrong 25 Years Later!
Image credits: Shevon Adrian Nimesh
“What we found was that for every person, on days when they displayed greater exploration, greater ‘roaming entropy’, they reported feeling happier. It’s as simple as that,” he said. “The experience of novelty, or going to places you had never been before, actually seemed to have an even larger association with positive emotion on that day.” The best part? People who are in a good mood are more motivated to explore, and those who explore more tend to have better moods. These positive emotions also tend to seep into the next day, and even the day after that.
#16 Eyes On The Prize! The Perfect Shot Of An Osprey About To Wreak Havoc On An Unsuspecting Fish
Image credits: Malin Chinthaka
#17 Students From An Art High School In Argentina, Replicated “The Girl With The Pearl Earring” Only With Plastic Bottles Caps
Image credits: Malin Chinthaka
#18 “My 86yo Grandmother And Her Handmade Needle Point Chair. 25 Years In The Making And 14 Threads Per Inch. She Used To Pick Up Road Kill From The Side Of The Road To Compare Thread Colors. She Also Bought A Peacock For Color Comparison. I Am Not Allowed To Sit In It.”
Image credits: Malin Chinthaka
New adventures also lead to new lessons that extend our knowledge. As you’re scrolling through this list, you may stumble upon an unseen phenomenon that will inspire you to analyze it further. When you spend time learning something unknown, you also expand your horizons and build a greater perspective of the world. You also notice the benefits in no time.
According to Marilee Sprenger, an international educational consultant in the fields of social-emotional learning, literacy, vocabulary, and brain research, one of the most fascinating aspects of our brain is that it can change, and it does so every day.
“Neuroscientists want us to understand that the brain is plastic,” Sprenger told us in a previous interview. “Every time you learn something new, your brain grows new connections. As we practice this new learning, the connections between brain cells get stronger and more resilient. If it is useful information, it stays with us, possibly forever.”
#19 Stain Glass Staircase.. Museum In Japan
Image credits: Stacy McDonald
#20 Kefir The Maine Coon Cat Is A Gentle Giant That Weighs Over 27 Pounds. He’s So Big That People Mistake Him For A Dog
Image credits: Shevon Adrian Nimesh
#21 The Ardennais Or Ardennes Is One Of The Oldest Breeds Of Draft Horse
It originates from the Ardennes area in Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. They are heavy-boned with thick legs and are used for draft work
Image credits: Mari Gavasheli
Keeping your brain active is vital, Sprenger argued. “Because the brain has plasticity, you can also lose what you’ve learned. Keeping your brain and your body active can make a big difference in your ability to concentrate, focus, and remember. The more you know, the easier it is to take new learning and new experiences and connect them to information already stored in your brain.”
#22 University Of Illinois Awarded An Honorary Degree To Hero, A Service Dog Who Attended Each One Of His Owner’s Classes
Image credits: Shevon Adrian Nimesh
#23 Awesome Photos Of Real Snowflakes By Alexey Kljatov
Image credits: Shevon Adrian Nimesh
#24 The Stunning Patagonian Crater Agate
Image credits: Shevon Adrian Nimesh
“Whether you learn something new or pursue the study of an individual topic (like I do with the brain), you are keeping your brain active. If you focus on only one thing and not pursue other avenues, you could lose connections in other parts of your brain. So, diversification is good,” she added.
“Frankly, I am a nerd. I would rather read a new book on the brain than go out with friends. But I force myself to go. I know those social connections will help me on many levels,” the expert explained. Thankfully, the social media page in question opens the doors to a variety of different topics, inviting us to soak up some breathtaking views and new knowledge. What did you think of these pictures, dear readers? Which ones did you enjoy the most? We’d love to hear your thoughts down below!
#25 This Artist Spent Eight Years To Create This Tree-Chair, Using Methods Of Gradual Redirection Of The Branches, Which Consists Of Shaping The Trees As They Grow According To Predetermined Designs
Image credits: Shevon Adrian Nimesh
#26 A Snapping Turtle Emerges From Weeks Of Sleeping Beneath A Muddy Lake That Had Dried Up
Image credits: Shevon Adrian Nimesh
#27 Amazing Art Work Of A 93yrs Old Agnes Kasparkova From Louka, Czechia
Image credits: Malin Chinthaka
#28 Baby Hummingbird Drinking Juice From A Raspberry
Image credits: Shevon Adrian Nimesh
#29 Ice Eggs, A Rare Phenomenon Occurs When Ice Is Rolled Over By Wind And Water Northern Finland
Image credits: Malin Chinthaka
#30 Babies Left To Sleep Outside, Strengthening The Immune System, Moscow 1958
Image credits: Gasparek István Zoltán
#31 Pastel Sunset In Bali
Image credits: Malin Chinthaka
#32 Abandoned House In Belgium Looks Like An Evil Witch’s House
Image credits: Gasparek István Zoltán
#33 Switzerland’s Earth Houses Are Reminiscent Of Real Hobbit Holes
Image credits: Malin Chinthaka
#34 A Beautiful Wood Carving By Christopher David White
Image credits: Malin Chinthaka
#35 Lenticular Clouds Over Mt. Rainier, Washington State. These Clouds Only Happen Over Mountain Ranges
Image credits: Malin Chinthaka
#36 6-Year Old Austrian Boy, Beams With Unbounded Joy As He Clasps A New Pair Of Shoes Presented To Him By The American Red Cross, At The End Of World War 2, In 1945
Image credits: Gasparek István Zoltán
#37 Crocodile Eyes Glow In The Dark. Amazing
Image credits: Malin Chinthaka
#38 A Whale And A Boat
Image credits: Malin Chinthaka
#39 It’s A Tapir. Right Now They’re Trying To Breed Them In The Zoos To Send Them Back Out Into The Wild Into Their Natural Habitat Because They Are Becoming Extinct
Image credits: Kailash Chandra Sahoo
#40 The Cave Of The Giant Crystals In Naica, Mexico Contains Natural Crystals Up To 50 Feet Long And 4 Feet Wide!
Image credits: John Humphrey
#41 Heterochromia. In The Case Of Complete Heterochromia, The Color Of One Iris Is Different From That Of The Other
Image credits: Mari Gavasheli
#42 Statue Of King Arthur Located In A Castle In Cornwall
Image credits: Malin Chinthaka
#43 Oak Tree About 800 Years Old. Fredville Park United Kingdom
Image credits: Gasparek István Zoltán
#44 X-Ray Of A Pregnant Dog
Image credits: Shevon Adrian Nimesh
#45 Tulips Blooming In The Snow
Image credits: Malin Chinthaka
#46 Great Carving Creations!
Image credits: Mari Gavasheli
#47 The Sagittarius Bird, A Member Of The Vulture Family, Found Only In Africa
They use their powerful legs to kill their prey,most often snakes
Image credits: Malin Chinthaka
#48 Check Out This Incredible Very Huge Amethyst Geode Crystals From Uruguay
Image credits: Gasparek István Zoltán
#49 Scene Of Rain Falling On The Ground Taken Through The Window Of The Plane
Image credits: Jamima Khanom
#50 Old Phone Booths Have Been Turned Into Goldfish Bowls In The Streets Of Osaka, Japan
Image credits: Malin Chinthaka
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Author: Kotryna Brašiškytė
