"All Things Strange And Unusual”: 50 Pics From This Weird Group

“This is why the internet was made,” comments one of the group’s followers under a recent post, perfectly capturing the spirit of ‘All Things Strange and Unusual.’ The page shares everything from bizarre fish and confusing street signs to mind-boggling shoes—exactly the kind of content we’ve come to love online. Perhaps that’s why, despite being around for only a few months, it already has over 66,000 followers.

To learn more about what makes the group so fascinating, Bored Panda spoke with Kushani Gunathilaka, one of its admins. “Connecting with our community and sharing things that add value to people is such a thrill!” she enthuses.

Kushani loves the incredible variety of content that members contribute. “The group is very fun, creative, and active. There’s no room for monotony here,” she says. “People all across are sharing things that you don’t see or hear often, and it takes excitement to a whole other level.”

One of Kushani’s favorite posts from ‘All Things Strange and Unusual’ is a photo of the ‘cougar shadow,’ a natural phenomenon that appears when the sun sets in the Superstition Mountains, Arizona, only twice a year—during the spring and fall equinox. “Most people were mesmerized by it, and surprisingly, some didn’t even know about it until the post appeared in the feed.”

Another post that captured Kushani’s heart was a photo of a duck nest nestled among plants for sale at Walmart—not something you come across every day. The workers had put up a sign asking people not to disturb the nest. “It’s rare to see people go above and beyond to protect something other than themselves, especially nowadays,” Kushani remarks.

Beyond the group, Kushani sometimes has her own encounters with the ‘strange and unusual.’ “I once had a dream about a place where I went to eat and drink with a group of people. It felt so real, but I had never seen that place before,” she recalls. A few months later, her brother visited a restaurant abroad, and it was eerily similar to the place in her dream. “I was confused, to say the least.”

But where does this obsession with odd things come from? Turns out it’s rooted in our natural curiosity and desire to discover new things. According to clinical medical anthropologist and behavioral health specialist Meg Jordan, our brains thrive on novelty and excitement. Unusual items provide us with fresh information that stimulates our minds and keeps us engaged.

Our sensitivity to new things is evident even in our daily routines. “We see it when something changes in a loved one’s appearance, when our favorite grocery items aren’t in their usual spot, or when an unfamiliar charge pops up on the credit card statement. We’re so used to spotting newness that it feels second nature by now,” Jordan says. 

In some ways, our brain is wired to seek out novel images, sounds, and words due to survival instincts passed down from our ancestors—“Hmm…that growl in the night doesn’t quite sound like my mate’s usual snore…”

However, recent findings suggest it’s because we are constantly motivated to explore our environments, take risks, and learn new things in search of rewards.