Not everything needs to be over the top to captivate our attention. Even the smallest of things to a wondering mind can turn out to be hiding a story behind them. That is why today, we have selected another list of mildly interesting photos for your forever curious minds.

Over 21 million members on this subreddit are proof that there is no shortage of observant people who are consistently ready to be surprised by, at first, seemingly ordinary things. With the help of these images, we can notice how different we all are, depending on where our attention is drawn, and appreciate all the randomness available all around us if we just keep looking.

So if you’re feeling stuck in a rut, or just looking for a little inspiration, we invite you to dive into the complexity of the ordinary and discover something new to you. And for more on Bored Panda, visit our previous post here.

One of our characteristics that makes us especially interested in everything around us is curiosity. To learn more about that, Bored Panda got in touch with a brilliant astrophysicist, best-selling author, and popular speaker, Dr. Mario Livio. Read a full interview below.

More info: mario-livio.com | Facebook | Youtube | Twitter

#1 My Local Hospital Has Provided A House For A Cat That Frequently Visits

Image credits: syncopant

#2 Someone Knitted A Sweater For Their Car’s Emblem

Image credits: bluemoonlighter

#3 I Toasted Bread To Absolute Perfection

Image credits: InFlames235

Curiosity is a fundamental human characteristic that drives us to explore and comprehend our surroundings. It is the spark that piques our interest in learning, discovering, and creating. That is how the book “Why: What Makes Us Curious” by Dr. Mario Livio was born.

Dr. Mario shared what inspired him to write and research curiosity. “I am a very curious person, and at some point, I became curious about curiosity itself. While doing the research for the book ‘WHY?’ I was surprised by the fact that not very many researchers are studying curiosity.” It seems that everyone was asking questions but not the core of where those questions come from.

#4 An Origami Dwarf I Folded

Image credits: JonSnuu69

#5 A Local Pizzeria Started Using A Dough Ball Instead Of The Plastic Thingies To Keep The Pizza Intact

Image credits: UnintentionalExpat

#6 Toaster Bath Bomb I Found At The Mall

Image credits: frogmug

Curiosity can manifest itself in a variety of ways. For some, it’s a desire to understand how the world works that drives their interest in science and technology. Others are drawn to history, literature, or the arts because they are fascinated by the past and the stories that make up our collective human experience.

When learning about curiosity itself, it turns out there are more layers to it. Dr. Mario shared: “There are a few types of curiosity. ‘Perceptual’ curiosity is the curiosity we feel when things are surprising or ambiguous. ‘Epistemic’ curiosity is the one that drives scientific research. ‘Diversive’ curiosity is what we do to avoid boredom, and ‘Specific’ curiosity is about specific questions. There are more types (e.g. ‘Morbid’ curiosity, when people gather around accident sites).”

#7 The Vegetable Shops Here Show A Pic Of The Farmer

Image credits: keebler980

#8 A Park In My City Was Adopted By The Satanic Temple

Image credits: ShowerStew

#9 The Ceiling Lights In This Medical Test Lab Are In The Form Of Electrocardiogram (Ecg)

Image credits: thesahilpatel

Each of these types of curiosity is responsible for different areas in that we, as humans, evolve and move forward. Dr. Livio shared that “perceptual curiosity is associated with an area in the brain that is related to conflict, or hunger, it represents an unpleasant state that we want to get out of. Epistemic curiosity is associated with an anticipation of reward (like when someone offers us a piece of chocolate.”

He added: “Epistemic curiosity has indeed led to progress in science. We are most curious when we already know something about a subject, but we know or feel that there is more to be known. Human curiosity has always surpassed the one needed for mere survival.”

#10 This 1969 Dollar Bill We Found In My Dad’s Small Money Collection With A 00000001 Serial Number

Image credits: Miss_Behaves

#11 This Bottom Left Window Is Actually A Painting

Image credits: BannedFromEarth

#12 Tall Skinny Snowman Made With A Bucket

Image credits: randalwon

Curiosity is a driving force behind innovation and progress. Many of the inventions and discoveries that have shaped our world today would not have been possible without curiosity. Therefore, we wanted to know some practical strategies that individuals and organizations can use to cultivate and leverage curiosity in their daily lives and work.

“Always start with something the person (or organization) is already curious about (and not with something you want them to be curious about) and then, find a way to connect what they are already curious about to what you think they should be curious about. Also, I coined the phrase, ‘curiosity is the best remedy for fear.’ If you are afraid of something, try to learn more about it,” shared Dr. Mario.

If you are interested in learning more about curiosity, there is no better way than reading Dr. Mario Livio’s book “Why: What Makes Us Curious”.

#13 The Bubbles At The Bottom Of My Water Glass Look Like A Script Of Some Kind

Image credits: Lilt34

#14 I Have An Uncanny Resemblance To The Freya Carving At Epcot’s Stave Church

Image credits: norskunna

#15 We Found Neighbouring Houses With The Same Colours As Our Jackets

Image credits: pantalooon

#16 Took A Small Squirt Of My Shaving Gel, And Got A Little Chicken!

Image credits: DetailFactory

#17 Cat Bed Instructions: “Your Cat Will Figure It Out”

Image credits: TuxedoFloorca

#18 My Uber Is Also A Convenience Store

Image credits: big_news_1

#19 My Local Five Guys Is Being Run By Five Girls Tonight

Image credits: exonomix

#20 A Broken Tube TV In My Work Has “Game Over” Burnt Into The Screen

Image credits: nordvplan

#21 This Company Ships Their Product In Boxes Marked As Plain Flour To Deter Porch Pirates

Image credits: CondeNastyDigital

#22 Batteries With “Bitter Coating” To Prevent Kids From Swallowing Them

Image credits: fernanaj

#23 This Pizza Shop Offers Two Types Of Straws, But Questions Your Reasoning

Image credits: planbskte11

#24 My Takeout Rice Container Was 100% Filled

Image credits: SwashbucklingWeasels

#25 My Grocery Store Blocks Out Characters On Packaging

Image credits: Trooperlite

#26 This Enormous Mountain Of Saffron In A Bazar In Tehran

Image credits: Lucamadeus93

#27 At My Job We Have 2 Of These Foam Things Hanging, Specifically For People To Poke, So That The Other Ones Don’t Get Destroyed And We Don’t Have To Throw Them Away

Image credits: Jamie_logan

#28 This Puzzle Is Actually A Prank Puzzle

Image credits: icemage27

#29 This Randomly Illuminated Patch Of Street

Image credits: giu989

#30 Our Garbagemen Left Us A Christmas Card In Our Mailbox

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#31 The Prize Car At This Dying Mall Is An 18 Year Old Corvette

Image credits: EyeLike2Watch

#32 Our Office Received A Pallet Jack On A Pallet Today

Image credits: efjer

#33 This 57-Year Old Telegram My Grandpa Sent My Grandma

Image credits: kevinmparkinson

#34 Opened A Clif Builder Bar To Find A Piece Taken Out

Image credits: Snowedin-69

#35 This Snow Puppy My Wife Casually Threw Together

Image credits: snakedoctor223

#36 The Remains Of This Hammer Stuck In Asphalt

Image credits: marmosetohmarmoset

#37 Doll Came With A Tiny Phone That Has A Tiny Broken Screen

Image credits: cooliojames

#38 1956 Truck Looks Brand New

Image credits: SubieYoshi

#39 The Result Of My Family Putting All Of Our Fruit Stickers On Our Fridge For The Past Several Years

Image credits: Seaspooder

#40 I Bought An Old Math Textbook And It Has The Original Pledge Of Allegiance In The Front Without “Under God”

Image credits: seditiouslizard

#41 Waffle House Includes Sales Tax

Image credits: Jove108

#42 The Top Of The Boston Skyline Is Just Barely Visible From Cape Cod

Image credits: WeaponizedFeline

#43 There’s A Desserts-Only Mini Mcdonalds Outside My Hotel

Image credits: umichscoots

#44 This Restaurant In Monterrey, Ca Doesn’t Allow Children

Image credits: rockmeamat3ur

#45 I Can Grip Things Backwards

Image credits: SentientPotato42

#46 This Building Im In Has Chairs And Desks Mounted On The Wall

Image credits: WillyHeeler

#47 Home Made Cheese Aging In One Of My Refrigerator “Cheese Caves”

Image credits: 5ittingduck

#48 My 1 Euro Coin Fell Apart

Image credits: AddAFucking

#49 An Egg I Bought From A Farmer’s Market (Bottom) Compared To A Store Bought One

Image credits: pls_dont_ban_mod

#50 This Public Restroom At A Hotel Has Black Toilet Paper

Image credits: nothochiminh

#51 This Coffee Shop Uses Oat Milk As Their Default Milk

#52 My Primary Doctor Has A Bobblehead Of Himself At The Front Desk

#53 These Recyclable 6 Pack Holders That Replaced The Plastic Ones

#54 This Stonework Looks Textured In The Sun, But Flat In The Shade

#55 My Local Target Sells Sex Toys

#56 My Daughter Got A Globe Ball With Only America On It

#57 This 7-Eleven In The Philippines Specifically Sells Room Temperature Bottled Water

#58 Costco’s Pepperoni Pizza Has Fewer Calories Than The Plain Cheese

#59 Train Weels Have A Contact Area Of About One Fingernail, As Seen In This Picture

#60 My Primary Doctor Has A Bobblehead Of Himself At The Front Desk

#61 This 7-Eleven In The Philippines Specifically Sells Room Temperature Bottled Water

Source: boredpanda.com