Have you ever wondered how much of our day is spent on autopilot, tuning out the hum of our devices, or the chatter in a bustling café? Unfortunately, amidst it, we tend to ignore the special and beautiful things in life as well.
Today, Bored Panda is here to remind you of them with a curated collection of the most fascinating, rarely-seen objects, animals, events, and anything else that sparks your curiosity and excitement for life.
From spherical clouds to golden beetles and flying cruise ships, these things might surprise you—but in the best way possible. Get comfortable as you scroll through, and don’t forget to upvote the ones that catch your eye the most!
#1 Saturn Through My 6" Telescope
Image credits: danborjaa
#2 3D HDR Composite Moon Image. I Stayed Up Until 4 AM To Shoot This
Image credits: DomCraggoo
#3 Grandala Birds. While Females Are Brown With White Streaks All Over The Head, Males Are Almost Eye-Searing Blue
Image credits: aviantrails
Have you ever realized that you’ve driven yourself home without really paying attention to the road? Scientists studying the brain have found that when our mind wanders, it switches to “autopilot” mode, allowing us to do our tasks efficiently, accurately, and without conscious effort.
This is managed by a set of brain structures called the default mode network (DMN). It was discovered in the 1990s after researchers noticed brain activity in people, even though they weren’t doing anything. This detection was the first evidence that our brains are active even when we aren’t consciously putting them to work.
#4 This Colorful And Rare Python
Image credits: jayprehistoricpets
#5 Sunrise In Alice Springs, Australia
Image credits: Semajiscool
#6 So It Snowed On The Cabbage Field
Image credits: 9999monkeys
Another reason why some things go unnoticed by us is called habituation. This near-universal law of psychology claims that we stop noticing something we see or hear repeatedly. Most of us are familiar with the Apple logo and see it every day, but chances are, we can't recall the details of it. And if you aren’t convinced, try doing this test.
We often overlook trivial things in life, because they don’t matter as much. Let’s take the sound of an alarm clock in the morning as another example. When you choose a new ringtone for it, the noise wakes you up faster, as initially, you pay more attention to it, and it becomes distracting. After a while, you get used to the sound, and your response to it diminishes.
#7 I Was On My Way To Phoenix And I Captured One Of The Craziest Photos... Lightning Through The Clouds
Image credits: JSAB™️
#8 This Tree In My Neighborhood Has 1 Branch Of An Apple Tree And The Rest Is A Normal Tree
Image credits: Olyverr1014
#9 Bird's Eyelashes Are Tiny Feathers
Image credits: reddit.com
As a result, this ability helps us to focus on the things that are more important. In fact, habituation happens regularly in our day-to-day lives when we are learning, even if we don’t realize it.
It allows us to tune out non-essential stimuli and focus on the tasks that really demand our attention. For instance, if you’re studying with the television playing in the background, the noise might be distracting at first, but your brain allows you to tune it out and center your focus on the material at hand.
#10 Buddy Of Mine Spotted This Dolphin In Lake Calcasieu, Louisiana
Image credits: sloshyjacob
#11 Found In The Backyard: A Rare And Endangered Peregrine Falcon - The Fastest Bird On The Continent (The Wildlife Commission Reunited Him With His Family)
Image credits: Intrepid_Nothing9561
#12 A Smack Of Jellyfish Congregated Under This Boat
Image credits: pants35
And if you ever feel like you can no longer smell your perfume, it’s not because it expired or you lost your sense of smell; most likely, you just stopped noticing it. Others around you still detect the smell, even though you aren’t aware of it.
#13 Here Is A Hummingbird Nest My Wife Found. I Don't Think I've Ever Seen One Before
Image credits: Up_The_Butt_Jesus
#14 This Group We Came Across In A Forest Casually Hiking In Medieval Outfits
Image credits: ksanyee
#15 The Smallest Maple Tree Leaf I've Ever Seen
Image credits: bukunothing
This can also happen to our emotions when we’re constantly exposed to a large amount of bad news and negative social media posts. Interestingly, studies have shown that getting used to people experiencing negative things makes us less likely to help. For instance, street buskers and homeless people asking for money are such a common sight for individuals in big cities that they might feel less inclined to aid them.
#16 Spherical Cloud Captured In Japan
Image credits: pmxpvrtmx
#17 Little Golden Beetle
Image credits: PoprockMind
#18 I Was Mowing My Lawn And Came Across This Pink Grasshopper
Image credits: MC4204
Habituation can have several other real-life consequences, including our social interactions. It can decrease interest in or sensitivity to a partner’s needs or emotions. The significant other might be taken for granted, which can cause disagreements in the long run.
#19 My Yard Has A Mole Problem, But I Never Thought I'd Find An Albino
Image credits: 420wasabisnappin
#20 Fata-Morgana Phenomenon, Flying Cruise Ships Illusion On The South East Shores Of Cyprus
Image credits: kerofiloi.kiprou.weather.enthusiasts.cyprus
#21 I Came Across A Blue Mushroom
Image credits: laobalaomadecai
This can also lead to boredom or a lack of interest in activities that the person once found appealing and engaging. It can further impact their motivation and sense of enjoyment in life, causing them to disconnect from others. They may even miss a spherical cloud moving through the sky or hikers dressed in medieval costumes. Similarly, the person may experience a lack of curiosity and exploration, resulting in decreased learning and knowledge acquisition.
#22 Before It Was Sprouted, This Tree Went To The Moon
Image credits: bigmalakili
#23 I Found Glacier Water So Clear You Can Barely See It
Image credits: OkSoBasicallyPeach
#24 The Side Of Peacock That Most People Don’t Get To See
Image credits: ferrari_life95
To avoid losing excitement for life and discovering new things, try to change your surroundings. Innovator and author Phil McKinney advises, “Re-orient yourself so that old things seem new again. When you do this, try to notice all the frustrations and irritations in your environment.”
Another good idea would be to go to a completely unfamiliar place. Go experience a different culture outside of your comfort zone. See how they do things differently and cope with small everyday annoyances.
#25 The Way The Water Collected On My Strawberry Leaves This Morning
Image credits: minombreesmosquito
#26 Last Night My Wife's Uber Had A Duck In It
Image credits: purplepotables
#27 Bees On A Plane. Picture Was Taken By My Dad After Landing At Houston Airport. The Outgoing Flight Was Delayed For “Bee Removal”
Quote from my dad, “I’ve been flying planes for 35 years, I've delayed a lot of flights for a bunch of reasons but bees is a first.”
Image credits: goblue2019
#28 Ants Ate This Lollipop Completely But The Wrapper Is Still Spherical
Image credits: SangheiliSith
#29 I found These Crazy Pink And Purple Seeds Inside Our Runner Bean Plant
Image credits: optimistrhyme11
#30 The Size Of A Fiber Optic Wire Capable Of Supplying A Home With High-Speed Internet
Image credits: sippen730
#31 This Big Leaf (Wife For Scale)
Image credits: reddit.com
#32 This Weird Tree I Found In Northeast Washington
Image credits: overweightmoose
#33 This Whole House Is Being Moved With People In It
Image credits: billyyshears
#34 One Of My Fish Has A Hole Through His Body
He's 100% fine! Eating and swimming. He has been like this for almost a year now.
Image credits: chillguy1414
#35 The Inside Of My Inflatable Air Mattress
Image credits: -who_knows-
#36 Here's My Mammoth Sunflower
Image credits: propmomma
#37 Has Anyone Ever Seen A Storm Cloud Like This?
Image credits: reddit.com
#38 This Stairway In This Hotel Goes Straight Forward 13 Floors Without Any Switchbacks
Image credits: zbrew
#39 A Lone Cloud Over The City Of Taipei
Image credits: Eastern_Eagle
#40 Someone Cut These Posters Revealing How Many Layers There Are
Image credits: Shiftmon
#41 There Was A Massive Pirate Ship Driving Around My Neighborhood
Image credits: ceqwz
#42 This Circle That Appeared In The Evening Sky Over Beijing, China
Image credits: TheAcademy_
#43 Cow Gets A Ride In A Prius (Mongolia)
Image credits: MercyLights
#44 A Street Where Workers Practice Painting Lines
Image credits: donj91711
#45 Spotted Yesterday
Image credits: Exvertist
#46 This Is What Olive Oil Looks Like, Right After It's Squashed From Olives
Image credits: Gyros45
#47 This Is A Truck Carrying The Signs You See On The Interstate
Image credits: reddit.com
#48 This Egg Has No Yolk
Image credits: TotapoPrincess
#49 Spotted An Apple Maps Maker
Image credits: yelahneb
#50 I Can Grip Things Backwards
Image credits: SentientPotato42
