Our lives are filled with everyday banalities -- things like the zipper on your jeans or the key to your house -- which may seem unremarkable at first glance.
But appearances can be deceiving, and some of the most seemingly humdrum things around us are actually filled with nuance, beauty and wonder. Here are 17 everyday things that are actually totally magical when you give them a much closer look:
1. The thing that makes your computer so smart.
Stained glass window? Nah, that's just a computer microchip, seen with 10x magnification. Technology's a beautiful thing.
2. The thing that comes before thunder.
Lighting may not strike the same place twice, but you can watch this bolt blast through the sky in slow-mo over and over and over again.
3. Getting into your home.
That's a top-secret look at a day in the life of your typical lock and key.
4. The world, as seen from inside your head.
This X-Ray shows what you would see if you literally had a mind's eye.
5. The device that keeps your pants up.
Note to self: Acquire a self-zipping zipper.
This close-up proves that mosquitos do have hearts. Whether they have souls is still up for debate.
7. Feline fistfights.
What if cat fights are actually just ninja fights in FAST MOTION?
8. The metamorphosis of your favorite movie snack...
... Kind of looks like a terrifying alien birth.
9. The thing that wakes you up.
These microscopic caffeine crystal molecules look like a super hairy rave!
10. A five-year-old's archenemy.
This is an MRI of a piece of broccoli. We diagnose migraines -- you can treat with ranch dip.
11. The deception of a camera lens.
This is the same cat, seen through several different camera lenses. Try doing that with Instagram.
The little guy always gets swallowed by the main-stream.
The suspense is titillating.
14. A man losing his dignity.
Not all losses of dignity look so fascinating.
15. The tiniest fraction of a blizzard.
This is a snowflake seen close-up. Don't stare too hard or it'll melt.
16. Crickets chirping, a-capella
Choir of angels? Nope, just crickets chirping in slow-mo.
17. Your drunken accident.
Glassware breaking in slow-mo look fabulous. Unfortunately, cleaning up glass shards does not.
Sometimes all it takes is a little change of perspective to make life's banal sights completely mind-boggling. But sometimes, a change of view can make life's sweetest moments look unbelievably gross:
That is a kiss, as seen by your tongue. Be grateful that's not your point-of-view the next time you're smooching your honey.