1. Fukang Meteorite
Although this looks like a handcrafted gold coaster, it is actually a piece of the Fukang meteorite. It was found in the mountains near Fukang, China, in 2000, hence the name. The rock is a pallasite, a stony-iron meteorite with olivine crystals, and it's an estimated 4.5 billion years old.
For 4.5 billion years old, this thing has withstood the test of time. It is almost the same age as the planet, and we can't Fukang believe that it was only found 20 years ago. It would make a beautiful piece of artwork or home decoration for a spot that gets a lot of sunlight.
2. Banana Tree Trunks
Although these look like parchment scrolls, they are banana "tree" trunks. Banana trees aren't really trees because they aren't wood; the stem is made of leaves rolled up over each other, which is why they look like rolled paper. Once the bananas are picked, these trunks don't go to waste.
In southeast Asia, people eat the trunks because it is considered to be a nutritious vegetable. It doesn't look very appetizing, but anything to keep you healthy, right? Surprisingly, it doesn't taste like banana at all, but most fruit trees don't taste like the thing they grow.
3. Rattle Snake Tail
Thinking about rattlesnakes gives us the heebie-jeebies, and we are sure that many can relate. The rattlesnake is known for it's rattling tail, and this is the cross-section of it. The rattle is made of keratin like a human nail, and the rattling sound is made when the segments hit each other.
These large venomous snakes are no joke because they can be deadly, but we didn't know that their tails felt like nails. When you see it cut in half, it looks likes something an alien would have on its body. Snakes do look like something from another planet, so it is not that far off.
4. Pearls
We're already clutching our pearls at the sight of this photo. People have thought of pearls as one of the finest materials for jewelry throughout history, but people often forget, or don't know, that they are caused because of parasites in mollusks. The mollusk defends itself by creating layers around the parasite, and then a pearl is formed.
If you think about it that way, pearls seem kind of gross despite how beautiful they look on the outside. When they are cut in half, you can see all the layers the mollusk created around it like a jawbreaker. Do you still think pears are beautiful now that you know this?
5. Bloodwood Tree
No, this isn't a prop from a horror movie; this is a Bloodwood tree. These are native to southern Africa, and it looks like it is bleeding because the sap is bright red, which is why they have the name bloodwood. These trees are often used for building furniture and canoes in Africa.
The red sap looks like it would be tasty on some pancakes, but aboriginal people actually use it as medicine. The sap treats sore eyes, wounds, burns, and sores. It can also be used as a dye because of its highly pigmented color. Who knew that trees could be so exciting.
6. Adding Machine
You might be wondering if we are dumb because we don't know what a calculator is, but an adding machine and a calculator are two different things, we checked. Until the 1970s, these were essential in most offices before calculators became more widely used.
They were mainly used for bookkeeping calculations, and by the late '90s, they were completely phased out because of personal computers and calculators. Although no one uses these anymore, it's interesting to see how much was going on inside of this office item.
7. The Giant "Mark Twain Tree"
Mark Twain wrote some of his most notable novels near this massive Sequoia, which is why it was named the "Mark Twain tree," but the tree was there long before Mark Twain was alive. The first sighting of this tree was in 1852 when a hunter ran into the woods after a bear.
The massive trees became very popular, and in 1891, the Mark Twain tree was cut down. A slice was sent to the American Museum of Natural History and another to the British Museum of Natural History. According to its rings, the tree began growing in 550, so it was 1,341 years old.
8. Tortoise Skeleton
We can't be the only ones who always thought that a tortoise could remove its shell. Well, now we all know that tortoises are attached to their shells, and they can't remove them like a piece of clothing. Hey, that's just what we saw in cartoons, which seemed believable.
The shell is like a suit of armor that protects the tortoise from the harm of the environment. Although it is mostly hollow, the shell is very heavy, explaining why they move so slow. Imagine carrying a suit of armor around all the time. No one would get anywhere fast like that.
9. Poppy Capsule
If you have trypophobia, you might want to skip this one. While some people might find this beautiful, it could make some people's skin crawl. These famous flowers featured in The Wizard of Oz are best known for their vibrant color and drug-producing qualities, but people haven't seen them like this.
Unlike the vibrant red petals, the inside is not what we expected. In India, parrots made the news because they were eating many poppies from farmers, and visiting multiple times a day. The farmers believed the birds developed an opioid addiction, and they needed their daily fix from the poppies.
10. A Small Piece Of Space Debris Impacting A Spacecraft
The European Space Agency was testing hypervelocity impacts in space and how to protect spacecraft, and during one of their experiments, they used a small aluminum ball to hit a surface at 15,000 mph. This is what would happen if space debris hit a spaceship.
These impacts are dangerous because they can cause destruction to the aircraft, which would be fatal for those aboard. People can't survive in space without special suits, so if the aircraft gets a hole in it, they are done for.
11. Split Apple Rock In New Zealand
Like something straight out of Spongebob, the Split Apple Rock in New Zealand is a naturally formed fractured rock. This is common in granite when it is exposed to waves and heavy rains. However, some people believe the rock split because of mythological reasons.
According to Maori mythology, it fractured when two gods broke the rock in two. We believe it happened when someone dropped the rock on Patrick Star's head and made a "bonk" sound. Whatever story you believe, it is definitely a sight to see.
12. Tree Fern
This is something you would find while looking through a microscope, but it is actually the cross-section of a fern. These are the oldest plants in the world, and they can grow up to 82 feet. We just imagine dinosaurs munching on these plants because they grew before and survived the mass extinction.
Not only were these a favorite snack for herbivores, but in Victorian times, people were so obsessed with ferns that they called it "fern fever." From pottery and wood to textiles and sculptures, these plants were seen in so many things during this time.
13. Bulb Planting
Some people call this "lasagna" style bulb planting, but this is nothing like the lasagna we are used to. People will triple the number of bulbs they plant, so they have a full spring's worth of flowers because they all bloom at different times.
Some of us don't have a green thumb because we can barely get one bulb to bloom, but these people are out here with tens of flowers blooming in one pot. This looks fascinating to some people, but we are kind of creeped out by the layered look.
14. Hedgehog Skeleton
We hope this hedgehog had a long and happy life collecting gold rings and defeating Doctor Eggman. While animals are alive, most people don't think about what their skeletons look like, and there is a reason why. This is so unnerving with the skeleton sitting inside the shell of spikes.
The hedgehog can raise and lower its 5,000 quills with muscles in its back to protect it from predators. The quills are mostly hollow, but don't be fooled by this creature's lightness; they can still do some damage if you are not careful.
15. Firework Shell
"Baby, you're a firework; come on, show them your insides." That's not exactly how Katy Perry sang it, but it applies to this picture. Fireworks are so fascinating because they create these beautiful displays in the sky, yet they are dangerous if mishandled.
Fireworks were invented in China, but the Italians introduced colorful versions. The interior shape that you see is responsible for how the firework looks in the sky. There are plenty of different shapes, and each one of them has a different looking interior.
16. Part Of The Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is iconic and has been around since 1937 when it opened. While hundreds of thousands of people drive over the bridge daily, people don't tend to think about its structure and how it was made. There are two main cables, and this is the cross-section of one of them.
Surprisingly, each cable is not solid steel; it is compromised of 27,572 that are bundled into 61 strands. Instead of having a solid piece, these internal cables make it more resilient to failure. If they strung together to make one cable, it would wrap around the earth three times.
17. A Wasp Nest
All we can think about when we see this is the hundreds, if not thousands, of painful stings these wasps could deliver. Apparently, the unfriendly reputation of wasps is a misconception because they are only aggressive if provoked, but that is hard to believe.
The only place you can't find wasps is in Antarctica, so it might be time to move there. These buzzers build their nests from tree bark that they chew up and regurgitate into pulp. While it is impressive to see how much they achieve despite their small size, we are still not fans of these flying stinging machines.
18. Military Tank
While most people have never been inside a military tank, now we will all know what it looks like cut in half. The Brits introduced tanks in World War I, and by the early 1900s, the prototype for future tanks was revealed. It was first used in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette in 1916.
For most of us, this is as close as we will get to seeing the interior of a tank, and a lot is going on in there. It is not very roomy despite its size, and someone who is claustrophobic would have issues sitting in this. Most of the room is taken up by weaponry, which makes sense.
19. Bowling Ball
Who else loves bowling on a rainy day when there is nothing else to do? When you pick up those balls, you are probably thinking about how to get a strike rather than what is inside the ball. Inside each ball is a weighted core that gives the ball momentum to roll down the lane correctly.
Each bowling ball is made slightly different depending on the manufacturer, but most people think they are a solid ball of colorful plastic. It looks like a helmet from Star Wars or something from a movie, and we will never look at bowling balls the same.
20. CT Scanner
Often referred to as a CAT scan, this machine is something you want to avoid if you are claustrophobic. The scans help doctors see inside your body without cutting it open because it combines x-ray measurements taken from different angles to create tomographic images of objects being scanned.
While these are much too expensive to cut in half, this is what it looks like while it is being assembled. They look like time machines, but you aren't transported anywhere when you get inside one of these. However, it is one of the best medical inventions that has saved many lives.
21. Old Zippo Lighter
Zippo lighters have been used for decades and date back to 1933. The windproof lighters have always been popular because of their effectiveness. The inventor, George Blaisdell, got the idea from a man who was using a similar lighter from Austria.
Blaisdell invented his own version and called it Zippo because he liked the word zipper. In 1933, they were sold for $1.95 each, which is equivalent to $35 today. We don't know about you, but we aren't paying that much for a lighter today.
22. Subsea Power Cable
No one will have power if the cable is out of the water and cut in half, but everyone wanted to know what these things look like. These cables carry electric power below the surface of the water, which is confusing because usually electricity and water are a deadly combination, but there is a reason this works.
The installation of these cables is difficult, tedious, and expensive. The cables can go as deep as Mt. Everest is tall, and they carry telecommunication signals across large stretches of ocean. They have a lead sheath that prevents water intrusion so the cables aren't ruined.
23. A Cactus
Cacti look intimidating on the outside, but on the inside, they look like the monster from Stranger Things. Runaway before it tries to eat you! There are about 2,000 different types of cacti, and they all have prickly spines, which you don't want to touch.
If you didn't know, the spines help the plant retain water and keep animals away. Some cacti produce a substance that has hallucinogenic effects, while others aren't as exciting. Many people have cacti as house plants because they are so easy to take care of and don't require a lot of water.
24. Nikon Camera
Nikon cameras are some of the best in the world, next to Cannon. However, we never knew what was inside that made them so great. These expensive cameras take beautifully clear pictures, and they have so many internal pieces that make that happen.
There are numerous glass pieces that make the lens crystal clear, and it is no wonder they are so heavy. If someone were to buy it cut in half, do you think they could get it for half the price? It wouldn't be functional, but at least they would get a good deal.
25. Fragmentation Grenade
Fragmentation grenades got their name because they send out fragments when they explode, making them even more dangerous than your average grenade. Why have a regular grenade when you could destroy even more people with this special one?
The body is made of hard steel or synthetic material, and the shards come from a preformed fragmentation matrix that creates the splinters or shards. This might not be an everyday item for everyone, but it is still something you never see the inside of because they are usually exploding.
26. Vaccine Container
There has been a lot of talk about vaccines in recent weeks and months, so this one might spark your interest. The vaccine container, otherwise known as the "keg of life", has two metal layers to create a vacuum and reduces temperature loss.
In case someone accidentally drops this significant container, the foam protects the contents from damage. The blue parts are filled with ice because most vaccines need to be kept at freezing temperatures. It is such an essential thing in the medical industry and very relevant right now.
27. Mechanical Calculator
We already showed you an adding machine, now take a look at the mechanical calculator. After producing about fifty prototypes, Blaise Pascal invented this calculator in 1642. While it is not as thin and sleek as the calculators we know today, it was just the beginning.
Although it could only add and subtract two numbers and multiply and divide by repetition, it was sophisticated for its time. We don't know how anyone invented something so complicated with all those pieces, but over time, these transformed into things we use every day.
28. Leica Summicron Lens
If you aren't a photography aficionado, you might be confused by the title like us, but it is just a fancy camera lens. However, this isn't an ordinary camera lens, it is on the expensive side. We are talking up to $22,000 for this lens, and its complicated structure is why it was so pricey.
These lenses were only produced for nine years until 2007 because it was a complicated design, and the manufacturing costs were too expensive. Today you can still find them at specialty camera shops or eBay, but it is going to cost you a pretty penny.
29. An Accordian
While accordions aren't the most beautifully sounding instrument, they do add some life to polka music. It is in the wind family, and it uses air to produce those lovely sounds that everyone can jam out to. We can all thank Fredrich Buschmann for this invention that comes from Germany.
As you can see, it is much more complicated than one would think. At least it is not as jumbled and technical as the mechanical calculator. It is much more pleasing to know that some things are neat and tidy on the inside, just like the outside.
30. Land Rover
Land Rovers and Range Rovers became more popular in the last decade because celebrities are always spotted driving in them. However, their original purpose was an agriculture vehicle with a steering wheel in the middle, so it would be easy to use for left and right-handed people.
It's like the car drove through a cartoon saw that cut it in half, and the driver kept going until it realized the vehicle was in two pieces. We aren't car experts, but this looks like every other car's interior, so what is the hype among famous people?
31. Can Of Campbell's Soup
How do you cut a can of soup in half without it spilling everywhere? Maybe this is why it's called split pea. At least we can all rest easy knowing these soup brands aren't ripping us off with only a few noodles or chunks of chicken because these things are jam-packed with ingredients.
If you are looking for which one has more broth for your money, go with chicken noodle. If you don't care about the broth, and it's all about the vegetables, choose the chicken and vegetable because it is clearly packed with more things.
32. Aloe Vera Leaf
Are aloe vera leaves edible? Because this looks succulent. If you have ever gotten a sunburn, you know that aloe is your best friend, and it is even better when you get it right from the plant. Although it doesn't smell as good as the bottled aloe, it is even more soothing.
It looks like it could also be a cross-section of a pool because the surface looks like wavy water. Native Americans call aloe "the wand of heaven" because it has so many uses, from healing wounds to conditioning hair. Even Cleopatra incorporated it into her beauty routine.
33. Commercial Plane
Although most of us haven't been on a plane since the beginning of 2020, we are all dreaming of boarding one soon. At this point, it would be nice to sit next to a screaming baby just to have the chance to travel again. Everyone is craving those free airplane snacks right about now.
The next time you can get on a plane, remember that this is what it would look like if the plane were cut in half. You might feel disconnected from your luggage, but it is actually right below your seat. You can also see the lack of overhead storage on this specific plane.
34. Jaw Breaker
We can almost feel our teeth rotting from this photo. Look at all those layers of sugar that will absolutely destroy your teeth. Jawbreakers might have been exciting as children, but now that we are older, we understand why they have such a terrifying name. Never try to bite into one of these.
It was fun to see all the colors as it slowly dissolved, but our dentists were not happy to hear that we were sucking on a giant ball of sugar and food coloring. It definitely looks much better cut in half because you can see the rainbow and the gum in the center.
35. Colgate Toothpaste
Looking at toothpaste after a jawbreaker is a perfect way to revive the feeling in our teeth. Colgate is a classic for toothpaste, but we never understood why it had those colorful lines in the toothpaste. When it was introduced in 1873, the toothpaste came in a glass jar, so you could see what was inside.
We are almost positive that the colorful stripes in toothpaste tubes are just to get people excited about brushing. Surprisingly, long before Colgate sold toothpaste, they sold perfume. It is a strange segway, but they are one of the most well-known toothpaste brands worldwide.
36. A Lock And Key
Are we the only ones who just found out how keys really work? Now we understand why each key is very specific to the lock and has to be cut a certain way. It is like each key has a combination that fits into the special lock. All the pins in the lock are also configured at different heights on purpose.
Something about this is so satisfying because you can see just how perfectly it fits in the lock. Now every time we use a key, this is what will appear in our minds. Next time you unlock your front door, remember that only you have the special combination to that lock like a secret agent.
37. Container Ship
This is the world's largest container ship, and it seems that the front fell off to reveal what the interior looks like. To put it into perspective, this ship could transport 864 million bananas. That would be a monkey's dream cruise because they would never go hungry.
We always thought there was more empty space on cargo ships as if it were a cruise ship without the hotel rooms. Obviously, these are not as fun as a Carnival cruise, but they are essential to help things get transported worldwide.
38. Cup Of Noodles
This is a thick cup of noodles because it doesn't spill despite being cut in half. Before you put in the liquid, just remember that half of this container is air because they don't want the noodles to break when it is shipped. However, this one looks pretty good compared to other instant soups.
Is anyone else reminded of their college days when you lived in a dorm, and this was 99 percent of your diet because the dining hall food sucked, and it was the only thing you could make without a hot plate? Maybe that was just our college experience.
39. Photocopier
Isn't it interesting how photocopiers can do so many things, but people's first thought is to scan their butt and print it out? Even if this isn't your first thought, it has definitely crossed your mind when you pass it in the office.
We knew printers and photocopiers were complicated when we say Pam try to set on up in The Office, and now we understand why she struggled so much. Just look at how many parts and cartridges there are. Also, isn't it cool that you only need four colors to print anything.
40. A Baseball
Batter up! Let's play ball! Modern-day baseballs are made with an exterior cowhide, several yarn layers, and a core of rubber-coated cork. These four simple things are the basis for one of the most loved sports in America. It was rare for a long time to find a perfectly spherical ball because of the materials people used to use.
Although we associate baseball as a man's game, the earliest forms of baseball were played by milkmaids after they finished their duties. The balls also used to be much lighter, which is why it used to be ok to peg players, but not that is dangerous.