This article was originally published on TheFunPost
Canadian Academy Takes Their Graduation Photos Underwater
If you're attending a naval academy, you can probably bet that you're going to have to take a lot of classes that involve swimming and water. However, this naval academy in Canada takes things a step further. Not only do they train for underwater operations, but they even take their graduation photos underwater. The academy teaches students different types of diving techniques, so by this point, everyone should be comfortable doing things like this.
However, this does make us wonder how long it takes to get everyone in just the right position so that the photo can be taken. It's hard enough out of the water.
A Cleverly Designed Fountain Incorporates The Sun
Designing a fountain is hard enough. It's something that's going to be there for a very long time and if you mess it up, people are going to let you know. Whoever designed the fountain in this photo knocked it out of the park. It looks really good on its own, but when the sun is in just he right position, the sunlight makes the water look like fire or lava.
Of course, this statue is located in Italy. For whatever reason, the country just seems like they're hands down the best in the world when it comes to making fountains.
A Road That Glows In The Dark in Australia
We're sure that there are a lot of people out there who have wondered to themselves at some point why the lines on roads don't glow in the dark. It turns out that Australia has wondered about this, too, because they've actually tested out a similar concept. The lines on the road in this photo glow in the dark. Unfortunately, you're probably not going to be seeing something similar around your town anytime soon.
The experiment turned out to be a failure. The lines were very expensive, and the actual glow effect grew dimmer towards midnight and faded much faster than regular reflective paint.
An Italian Spa's Storm Themed Relaxation Room
If you're the type of person who just loves relaxing and reading books or napping the day away when it's rainy outside, then this one is for you. There's a spa somewhere in Italy that has a relaxation room that simulates storms. They built it after noting that a lot of people prefer the sound of rain and thunder to the sun and soft waves. Honestly, this should be a thing everywhere.
We aren't big on spas, but something like this might make us change our minds and give it a try, especially if it's been a long while since it last rained.
Tattoo Artist Tatu_Panda Creates Tattoos With Depth
There are countless talented tattoo artists out there, but the tattoos in this photo are really unique. The artist incorporates shadows into his work, adding depth to all of his tattoos. Most tattoos look like normal, flat images, but these look really cool, and while it probably wouldn't work for everything, it certainly looks good when paired with animals or objects. Other images floating around out there, show a pretty broad range of artwork.
However, considering that there are so few people who work in this type of style, you're probably going to have to pay a bit of money if you want one.
An Organization Trains an Army of Search Rats
You've probably seen stories or photos of dogs that go in search of survivors after natural disasters. This is sort of like that, but a bit different. There's a non-profit in Belgium that actually trains search rats. They even give them tiny backpacks outfitted with cameras so they can see what the rats are seeing while they're scampering between rubble. It actually makes a lot of sense if you think about it.
The rats can go places that humans and canines can't. In fact, they're kind of built to do just that. Rats are also trained to search for landmines elsewhere in the world.
Artists Built This Massive Crochet Canopy For Shade
It can get pretty warm in Malaga. That's why a local artist group decided to create this absolutely huge crochet canopy for a local shopping area. The canopy provides shade and helps keep things a bit cooler than it would be if the sun was just beating down on the street. But the best thing about this is all the different colors and designs made by each individual artist.
It looks like it would be a dream to walk underneath and just look up and admire all the work they put in. And if you were wondering, they don't get much rain there.
An Art Teacher Who Turns Leaves Into Beloved Characters
Everyone has had that one teacher who they look back on and remember fondly for making learning fun, or at the very least, easy and understandable. We think that this teacher in Japan is probably the one teacher for everyone who comes through their classroom. The art teacher rakes leaves every morning and then turns them into different pop culture characters, from Winnie the Pooh to Pikachu and countless others.
We're sure it probably takes them a while to get everything just right, but we're also pretty sure that it's a great way of getting the students engaged with art.
Harvard's Library Of Extremely Rare Colors
Most of us don't really think about it all that much, but color science is actually a thing. There are millions of different shades of colors out there, and most of which many people have never seen or thought about. That's why Harvard has an entire library dedicated to preserving and storing rare colors. Inside the vaults, you'll find things like colors that were originally made using now-extinct insects.
There are also colors that use really rare metals and even mummy wrappings. The latter was a popular ingredient in paint during the Victorian era and obviously it's no longer made today.
There's A Company That Recreates Architecture Using Drones
This is probably one of our favorites on this list. If you've ever walked past an abandoned building or ruins and wondered what it may have looked like when it was still standing, it turns out you're not the only one. There's a company out there that uses drones to recreate everything from ruins to monuments to abandoned buildings, and it looks amazing. It also helps people grasp just how inspiring many of these buildings were.
At the same time, it looks like it probably requires a lot of technical know-how to pull off, not to mention hundreds or even thousands of drones, depending on the building.
An Artist Recreates Dreamy NASA Images
Here's another really cool one. There's an artist named Danielle Currie who recreates NASA images of Earth. However, she recreates them using embroidery. It doesn't sound like it should work, but the end result is a dreamy, beautiful piece of art. They even remind us a bit of Vincent Van Gogh, especially the pieces that recreate oceans, bays, or just any body of water. They're just really very stunning.
Currie also makes images that incorporate land, islands, and beaches, and they're just as amazing as the image in this photo. These take hundreds of hours to actually make.
Around 100 Companies Signed Up For a Four-Day Work Experiment
We're sure you've probably heard all the recent buzz around 4-day work weeks. There have been some studies that have suggested that it can make employees more productive, and it just seems like the natural evolution of the 5-day work week. However, it's still a bit hard to believe that around 100 companies in the UK actually signed up to take part in an experiment to find out whether or not it'd be a good idea.
Not only did all of those companies sign up, but they did so without cutting pay or benefits for their employees. Here's to hoping the results pave the way to a longer weekend.
A Chicago Artist Creates Mosaics On Top Of Potholes
Nobody likes potholes, but Chicago artist Jim Bachor really doesn't like potholes. He hated them so much that he decided to start covering them up with beautiful mosaics. Jim Bachor goes around filling in different potholes before taking hundreds of tiny pieces of tile and using them to create works of art right in the middle of the road. The idea was so popular that it was featured on the national news.
The most amazing part might be the fact that the city lets him do it and doesn't pave over his work after he's done. They're probably just thankful for the help.
A Tortoise Single Handedly Saved His Species
When you think of tortoises, you probably don't immediately think of sex drive. These guys move slowly, and there always seem to be stories about some species that are on the brink of going extinct. Luckily, this is not one of those stories. The tortoise in this photo pretty much saved his species by having over 800 babies. That number alone is impressive, but keep in mind that the tortoise in the photo is ancient.
However, the funniest thing about this whole situation might just be how proud he looks in the photo of himself. He's definitely holding his head up high, even if he probably doesn't recognize he may have saved his species.
NASA Caught The Sun Smiling
We often tend to think of the sun in terms of happiness. After all, a sunny day is a happy day. However, NASA actually managed to catch the sun smiling in this photo they took of it a couple of years ago. The dark spots are called coronal holes, and they're just slightly warmer areas of the sun. However, at this exact moment, they looked like a smiley face.
It was a rare moment and when NASA released the images they quickly went viral, with a lot of people saying it looked like something you'd see on a cartoon or kid's show.
An Artist Who Uses Typewriters To Recreate Paintings
These days, not many people still use typewriters, but apparently, there's an artist who uses them to recreate famous pieces of art. James Cook has a collection of old typewriters and he uses them to type or draw or imprint, whatever you want to call it, really popular pieces of art. For example, he used a typewriter to recreate the Mona Lisa, as well as tons of other pieces.
We're at a loss as to how he actually does it, but we're betting it's not as straightforward as just using a typewriter to write a letter or create a document.
A Woman Lost Her Eye, Then Got One That Glows
If you ever lost one of your eyes, what would you do? There are a couple of routes you could go. You could start wearing an eye patch which would look kind of cool. Who doesn't love pirates? Or, you could replace it with a fake eye that actually glows in the dark and changes color. That's what one woman in China did after she lost one of her eyes.
It'd definitely be the coolest prosthetic eye we've ever seen. And it also begs the question, why wouldn't you get this if you had lost an eye? The only thing that could make it cooler is if it shot lasers or something.
A Human Washing Machine That's Basically an All-In-One Spa
Okay, so it's not actually referred to as an all-in-one spa, but that does sound a lot better than a "human washing machine" term. The company behind this used to describe it. They say that it washes you, provides a massage, and then dries you in less than 15 minutes. All you have to do is sit there. It hasn't been released yet but we'd be interested to see how many they sell.
It's also probably pretty pricey if we'd have to guess, but who knows maybe in a couple of decades everybody will have one in their home and it'll replace showers.
Teacher Turns Kids' Drawings Into Dolls
There are a couple of awesome teachers on this list, but this one is truly heartwarming. In Australia, a teacher turns her students' drawings into actual plushes. How cool is that? She's a kindergarten teacher, so she gets some really unique drawings, which in turn leads to some really unique plushes. And she does this every Christmas. If that doesn't just melt your heart, then we don't know what would.
Oh, and she asks them to draw imaginary monsters, which is also a great way to deal with your fears and just show the kids that there's nothing to be scared of.
A Menu With Items Listed Under "Business Expense" Names
Nobody enjoys tax season. It's probably one of the worst times of the year. It's a struggle to figure out how much you owe and how much you need to deduct, especially if you don't really have all that much to deduct. Luckily for Toronto residents, there's a restaurant in the city that has a menu with items named things like "mini dry erase whiteboard" and "wired earphones with mic."
The point of the names is so that you can deduct them as business expenses at the end of the year. Of course, it probably wouldn't be strictly legal if you did.
A James Bond Themed Corn Maze
Corn mazes are already pretty cool. However, when you're the biggest corn maze in the world, you've got to mix it up every now and then. That's why the world's largest corn maze was reworked on the 60th anniversary of James Bond. The entire maze was converted to feature some of the actors who've played Bond throughout the years, as well as a nice sporty car and some buildings from the movies.
It doesn't look that huge in this photo, but on the ground, the entire maze is massive, and it probably took a lot of work to convert it all.
Finland Gives Reindeer Glow In The Dark Antlers
We're not sure whether this would be awesome or terrifying to see at night. Finland once tried giving reindeer antlers that glow in the dark so that people and drivers could see them better at night and avoid them. However, it didn't actually work out as planned. The eco-friendly spray paint wore off pretty quickly, and it turns out that it's a bit of a chore to paint reindeer antlers.
Not to mention, we imagine that it'd probably make them very susceptible to being spotted by predators at night. So, it's probably a bit of a good thing that it didn't work.
Mountain Climbers Report Unseen, Guiding Presence
This one is a bit creepy, but hundreds of mountain climbers, from both back in the day and from the present, all report sensing or hearing a guiding presence during life-threatening situations. It's called the Third Man Syndrome, and there are plenty of accounts from history. Apparently, climbers and explorers say that it happens during life-threatening situations and that the voice gives them practical advice and encouragement to keep going.
Of course, it's probably just the human brain trying to get you out of whatever situation you're in, but it's still kind of fascinating and it sounds like an amazing experience.
Someone Created A "Virtual" Traffic Jam On Google Maps
Why anyone would want to do this is beyond us, but we guess it's kind of cool that someone did. An artist named Simon Weckert took around 99 phones, loaded them into a cart, and then just placed them on a bridge. Essentially, it created a traffic jam on Google Maps when in real life, traffic was moving smoothly. Obviously, this one has divided opinions. Was it really a piece of performative art or just someone trying to create chaos?
Whatever you happen to think, the fact that he was able to pull it off, or even get enough phones to make it happen, is kind of impressive.
New Zealand Completely Bans Tobacco
It doesn't matter if you're a smoker or a non-smoker; most people can probably agree with this. New Zealand passed a law prohibiting the sale of cigarettes and tobacco to people born after 2008. That's pretty much a complete ban, although it's just going to take some time to go into effect. However, one day, there's not going to be anyone in the country who was born before 2008 and can buy tobacco.
Maybe other places will follow suit in the future, and this can become a common thing everywhere, considering how harmful smoking is for your body and how many lives it costs.
An Office Chair That You Can Ride at 12MPH
Here's another invention that probably should've been created decades ago. Volkswagen recently released their own office chair for some reason, but you actually ride it. The chair can reportedly reach top speeds of 12mph, which is probably way faster than you need to go in an office setting. Still, we admire the face that they give you options. It also just looks like a really comfortable chair, and it reminds us of a seat you'd see in a car.
As if that wasn't enough, they even put lights on the front, in case you're riding around the office at night, we guess, or if power happens to go out.
The Dodo Bird Is On Its Way Back
One of the most iconic modern extinctions to ever take place might just be that of the dodo bird. After arriving on the island, people began hunting the bird because it was reportedly so tasty to eat. The bird was flightless, and it was eventually wiped out. Now, there's a company that plans on bringing the birds back by creating some in a lab before reintroducing them to their home island.
The company announced its plans in 2023, but it will be years, if not decades, before you should expect to see wild dodos walking around Mauritius or making it to your dinner plate.
There's A See Through Puzzle Set
Think you've mastered the art of putting together puzzles? Then it might be time to give this one a try. A company created a puzzle set that's entirely see through, meaning it doesn't actually come together to make an image or anything, unless you count a sheet of glass. The company has called it the world's hardest puzzle, and we'd probably have to agree with them here. It looks incredibly frustrating.
You'd probably need both patience and stamina to get through something like this. A little willpower probably wouldn't hurt, either. But if you did complete it, you'd know you've mastered puzzles.
A Camper For Your Bike
Here's another ingenious invention. It's similar to those camper shells that you sometimes see attached to the bed of a truck, except these are made for bikes. An artist by the name of Kevin Cyr came up with the idea and designed one that was small enough to be attached to a bike. However, we're sure it's still going to be a bit of a struggle to actually haul on of these around.
But if you do like to ride bikes and camp, then this could be a great option, especially if you plan on traveling long distances. You just might get there a little slower.
A Recently Discovered Corridor In The Great Pyramid Of Giza
You'd think that after 4,500 years, we'd know all there is to know about the Great Pyramid of Giza. However, that's not true. Recently, archeologists used something called muons to uncover a new corridor. They basically gave the pyramid a Catscan, and it ended up finding this. There's no word on when it will be explored or if that's even possible, but they did say they plan on scanning other parts using the same technique.
Considering how often it seems like they're discovering new areas of the pyramids, we wouldn't be surprised if they found a couple more chambers before the scans are fully complete.
These Bed Linens Feel Like Cat Fur
If you've ever snuggled with your cat and just wanted to snuggle more cat, or your cat got up and walked away, then we might have a solution. There's a Japanese company that reportedly makes bed linens that feel just like a cat's fur. It's basically like snuggling with a giant version of your cat. Honestly, we're kind of surprised that it took someone this long to make something like this.
And unfortunately, it does not purr, but it also won't just get up and leave you while you're in the middle of snuggling, so there are trade-offs here.
This TikToker Bakes Gravestone Recipes
If you weren't aware, there's a tradition of putting family recipes on gravestones in a lot of places. It turns out that there's actually a TikToker who goes around making videos of herself finding the recipes and baking them at home. Of course, considering the fact that these recipes have been honed by years of experience, many of them taste amazing, according to the TikToker. The tradition is also a humourous way to poke fun at those who "take their recipes to the grave."
In addition to the TikToker, there are actually a couple of different online groups out there that document various gravestone recipes and put them all in one place.
This Suspicious Page In a Kids Book Contains Innocent Swedish Words
There are tons of examples of the same word being in two different languages but meaning completely different things. Sometimes, it's just a coincidence. Others it has to do with a shared history. The latter is probably true in this case. In this picture book, there are the words "get killing" across these two pages, which sounds really dark at first. However, in Swedish, it just means "goat" and "kid."
So, it's actually completely innocent, despite sounding like it's trying to convince you to go out and commit crimes against humanity. There are a lot of other similar cases like this, but most we can't repeat here.
A Bike With Color Changing Wheels
There's another photo on this list that shows a road with glow-in-the-dark lines. This bike would be perfect for it. An engineer named Sergii Gordieiev made the wheels on the bike in this photo. He installed LEDs, allowing them to change colors, and it can even be changed from an app. Apart from the fact this could cause a couple of wrecks on the highway, it's really cool looking.
You'd just have to be a bit careful about where you go and when you turn the lights on so as not to distract drivers. Again, it'd look great on that road with the glowing lines.
This Robot Swims Like A Fish, And Even Blends In
We can all probably agree that robots and AI are starting to get a bit too real. Need some proof? Take a look at this photo. It's a robot fish that researchers at New York University made. It swims just like a real fish, but that's not the scariest part. They introduced it to a school of fish in the ocean, and they accepted it, and it went on to become their leader.
Yeah, that's right, their leader. Are you seeing a pattern here? We're just kidding (kind of). Regardless of the implications for mankind, this was a pretty cool accomplishment.
This Device Only Let's You Type LOL If You're LOLing
Here's another one that seems like it took a bit too long to get here. It's a small device that only lets you type in "LOL" if you're actually laughing out loud. It even adds a little confirmation message to say that you really did laugh out loud. Of course, this is more of a joke than an actual device that you might buy, but it's still funny nonetheless.
Now, they just need to make others for emojis, or at least, some emojis. There are some that you should probably never know if they're true with 100% accuracy.
A Company That Converts Cars To Hotwheels
If you ever enjoyed playing with Hotwheels as a kid, then you'll probably want to check out this company. They take a photo and other information about the car you have in real life, and then they convert all of that into a toy version of your vehicle. It's actually kind of amazing. However, if your car has seen better days and has "unique" scratches or paint chips, we're not sure they can recreate it.
It seems like they mainly just do general sort of replicas and nothing too specific, which is kind of a shame because it'd be cool to see more "used" cars get some love.
An Artist Uses Giant Pencil Shavings To Create Lamps
This is probably one of the most unique pieces of home decor we've ever seen. There's an artist in Japan who uses giant pencil shavings to create lamp shades. The shades themselves look really good, but it makes us wonder where she gets the giant pencils from. The artist's name is Nanako Kume and she even has a custom machine that she has to use in order to shave the pencils down.
The entire process looks really fascinating, and the lampshades would probably work in all kinds of different spaces. They look a bit whimsical, which we guess makes sense.
Santa In Carbonite Is An Actual Christmas Ornament
If you've never watched Star Wars or you're not really a fan, then you might not know what this is. In one of the movies, there's a pretty famous scene where a main character is frozen in a slab of carbonite. This Christmas ornament kind of recreates that by freezing Santa Clause in a slap of carbonite. He even has the same pose as the character from the movie.
This does bring up a couple of questions though, like who exactly did Santa make angry enough to freeze him in carbonite or who is going to unfreeze him in time for the holidays.
There's A Movement To Get Humans To Extinct Themselves
Honestly, this one isn't that surprising. There's an organization called Voluntary Human Extinction Movement, or VHEMT for short, because, you know, branding. Anyway, the organization advocates for people to stop having children so that humans eventually die out and go extinct. They even have a website where they post updates about the movement. In addition, the leader of the movement has been interviewed by some pretty popular media organizations.
There are also sections on the website dedicated to answering questions like, "If humans aren't around, who would protect the Earth from asteroids," as well as sections on philosophy and religion.