In 1996, photographer Laszlo Kestay documented a lava field in Hawaii that later earned the nickname "Gates of Hell." At first glance, it doesn't look like a landscape so much… Read the rest of the article: These 1996 Hawaii lava photos look like a horror movie set

Not all fluff is friendly, and there's nobody better than Megalopyge opercularis, or Puss Caterpillar, to teach us that lesson. This caterpillar looks almost unreal at first glance. It's covered… Read the rest of the article: Puss caterpillar is one of North America's most venomous insects

This optical illusion is melting my brain. The stick figures aren't climbing and descending a staircase, yet my eyes are telling me otherwise. I can usually see through an optical… Read the rest of the article: Can you convince yourself these stick figures aren't moving?

Dan Bowers creates enchanting sculptures from found objects for his wife. He shared photos of the mini artworks in this video on his Instagram page. The video is captioned "I… Read the rest of the article: Dan Bowers makes tiny found-object sculptures for his wife

Today I came across this grave from the future, here on Atlas Obscura. The headstone identifies its occupant as Andreas Morgenrødt, described not only by name but also by the… Read the rest of the article: Danish cemetery has a grave dated 1996–2064, for a time traveler

At Slope Point, the southernmost tip of New Zealand's South Island, the wind has become a sculptor. The trees here don't grow straight toward the sky. They all lean in… Read the rest of the article: Antarctica's winds permanently bent New Zealand's trees sideways

On Hallucinate, you can drop into a massive, free online rave as a customizable avatar you can dress up and style. The site's pixelated aesthetic gives the whole experience a… Read the rest of the article: This playful online rave is the perfect party for homebodies

Watch a caterpillar go down a tiny slide. This adorable playset was gifted to the lucky little larva by an artist who runs a page called Little Bug Creations, and… Read the rest of the article: Watch a caterpillar enjoy a tiny playground built just for bugs

America's love of giant roadside attractions has produced many strange sights, but few are as fierce as Betsy, a colossal spiny lobster in Islamorada, Florida. You can see Betsy in… Read the rest of the article: Meet Betsy, the 30-foot spiny lobster guarding the Florida Keys

This video, shared by Gyu, plays with perspective in a clever way. It shows different foods close up in the palms of a parent and a baby. A blueberry looks… Read the rest of the article: Baby's hand makes a cherry look like a giant piece of fruit

Last April, a powerful spring snowstorm swept across parts of the Alps, triggering dangerous avalanche conditions in multiple regions. In some areas, avalanche danger reached Level 4–5 on Europe's standard… Read the rest of the article: Snow sheds let alpine roads survive massive avalanches

At the Svaram Sound Garden in Auroville, simple sculptures combine sound and art in a mesmerizing way. In this video, a visitor strikes a stone instrument with a smaller stone.… Read the rest of the article: What does a rock sound like when it's shaped into an instrument?

In Jieyang, in China's Guangdong province, a farmer recently dug up this incredible and bizarre yam that had grown into a strikingly realistic hand-like shape. The farmer in the video… Read the rest of the article: Farmer digs up yam shaped like a human hand in China

Mazeball is a simple website that lets you watch glowing, colorful balls bounce through a maze. It's best viewed in full screen if you want to stare at something mindless… Read the rest of the article: Mazeball kept my sanity intact through a boring phone call

Watching these stadium seats get restored with flame scratches my brain in all the right ways. The color goes from washed-out and sun-bleached to vibrant and restored as soon as… Read the rest of the article: Watching sun-bleached stadium seats get restored with a flame is weirdly satisfying to watch

I came across the ceramics of artist Sarah Duyer today. I adore this ceramic giant PEZ with a Nancy head. You can see a video of the piece in all… Read the rest of the article: Ceramic Nancy PEZ dispenser opens into a flower vase

This drainpipe from 1393 features a dragon-like reptile with a wide, ferocious open mouth from which water pours. This photo of the drainpipe proves it has more swag than all… Read the rest of the article: Medieval dragon drainpipe from 1393 makes modern gutters look boring

Vivianite is the most goth crystal on Earth. This beautiful mineral forms in places rich in decaying organic matter, such as ancient graves, old bones, peat bogs, and even submerged… Read the rest of the article: Vivianite may be the most goth crystal on Earth with its eerie glow and graveyard origins

Someone took a smartphone photo at the exact moment their phone died, creating a compelling glitch that was shared by @beams.archive. The photo, of a garden, is split into two parts.… Read the rest of the article: This phone died mid-shot and made a weirdly beautiful photo

This video shows a recent incident in Austria where a passenger aircraft struck a paraglider. The plane clips the paraglider but not the person below it, sending her spiraling through… Read the rest of the article: Austrian plane clips paraglider mid-air; emergency chute saves pilot