Weird World: 12 Things We Can’t Quite Believe Are Real
![Weird World: 12 Things We Can’t Quite Believe Are Real](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/7/8/808078_320x180.jpg)
There are some things in this world that we just can't quite believe are real. From natural phenomena to technological feats, there is a wide range of things that fall into this category. Perhaps one of the most incredible examples is the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights. These breathtaking displays of color are created when charged particles from the Sun interact with the Earth's atmosphere. Another example is rainbows. These beautiful arches of color are created when sunlight is refracted by water droplets in the air. And then there are man-made wonders like the International Space Station, which is a collaborative effort between 15 nations. As we continue to explore and discover new things, there will no doubt be many more examples of things that we can't quite believe are real.
Sure, we all know the world is full of surprises … but this is the next level. Here's what we mean:
![WEIRD WORLD There's a corona monument in Belgium, but you can't go to the unveiling. Nobody can, and it's purely because of corona restrictions. We'll have to wait until the pandemic is over to see a monument to the pandemic, we guess. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/7/5/808075.jpg)
![WEIRD WORLD Dollar Tree isn't going to price everything at just one dollar any longer. DOLLAR TREE Everything's $1.00 Instead, most things are now going to be $1.25. Perhaps disappointingly, it's not changing its name to Dollar-and-a-quarter Tree. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/7/7/808077.jpg)
![WEIRD WORLD We found out that plumbers call the day after Thanksgiving Brown Friday. And it's because, on that day, lavish Thanksgiving meals lead to a massive surge in business for them. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/7/6/808076.jpg)
![WEIRD WORLD If you want to visit North Korea, make sure you don't wear a leather coat. Leather coats are now banned there, and it's just a vanity thing - Dear Leader doesn't want anyone copying his super-cool style. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/7/4/808074.jpg)
![WEIRD WORLD An ancient Roman mosaic was being used as furniture in an NYC apartment. It was a priceless artifact older than every country in existence, and it spent 50 years being a coffee table. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/7/3/808073.jpg)
![WEIRD WORLD The Taliban are now welcoming tourists who want to visit Afghanistan. That's after they'd destroyed irreplaceable ancient Buddhas that would made for a truly grand sight, for the record. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/7/2/808072.jpg)
![WEIRD WORLD Canada is experiencing a truly dire shortage of maple syrup, it turns out. ...... CROWN MAPLE STRUP RICHTASTE .... GRADE AMBER COLD MLDM E PLACE STRUM ANTIBAC The government is stepping and is, uh, tapping into the country's strategic reserves (yes, literally) of maple syrup. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/7/0/808070.jpg)
![WEIRD WORLD The problem with wind power is that it's becoming just too cheap. That's what a leading wind turbine maker says, and this is probably one case where schadenfreude is perfectly okay. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/7/1/808071.jpg)
![WEIRD WORLD When people protested against violence against women in Turkey, they were shot. By the police themselves, it turns out. Apparently, the authorities just didn't appreciate the irony. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/6/9/808069.jpg)
![WEIRD WORLD Apparently, a woman somehow breastfed a cat onboard an actual plane. That's according to a viral shot of a Delta pilot messaging system, which also says the woman was asked to stop but refused. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/6/8/808068.jpg)
![WEIRD WORLD Wal-Mart pulled a toy that literally swore and sang about doing cocaine. Walmart Supercentre The toy spoke in Polish, which kind of helped hide what it was talking about. Anyway, you can (regrettably?) no longer buy it on Wal-Mart's website. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/6/7/808067.jpg)
![WEIRD WORLD In Boise, Idaho, a book was returned 110 long years after it got checked out. We all went, 'Hmm that's weird. There is no record of this in our catalog. It says November 8 of 1911, so obviously, it was pretty overdue, said library assistant Anne Marie Martin. CRACKED.COM](https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/imageset/0/6/6/808066.jpg)