interesting

Culture shock is real, and sometimes a very small detail is enough to make you realize that the things you take for granted are definitely not standard. It could be as small as finding out milk is sold in bags, or as big as realizing that traffic laws are more of a suggestion than anything else. That said, non-Americans get some serious culture shocks when they get to the States, and some would be shocked to realized that there are some Western foods that are weird to visitors.

Perspective can change when you realize you've been taking something for granted. In this case it's interesting to think about how there are so many seemingly inconsequential things that color is used to indicate, like locked doors or plant health. It can be enlightening and pretty funny to learn about how everyone interprets the world, like this tumblr thread that appreciates different perspectives.

History is always repeating itself. But you know what isn't repeating? These brand new history memes from r/historymemes. If you think you've seen it all, wait till you see these babies. You'll be laughing about history in a whole new way. And here are some fresh history memes from last week to keep you going.  

There's no question that a lot of craftsmanship and creativity went into these skillful creations of dubious taste. It's just that they're also kind of also weird and scary. It takes a specific type of person to want to make a 20-foot peeing dachshund sculpture on the front of a building, but the world is...better... for it? At least there's no question that questionable taste and skill go hand in hand.

What's a 'shower thought?' It's a fleeting morsel of wisdom that pops into your brain out of nowhere when you're doing something meditative, like showering or trying to fall asleep. Doing an activity that clears the head is kind of like making room for all the delightful randomness your brain is capable of. r/Showerthoughts is one of the best places to consume these clever ideas in bulk, and we've gathered a handful of the sub's latest highlights. Enjoy these thoughts that might cause your brain to do a double take.

Just in case you didn't know, this enlightening Tumblr thread is here to fill you in on why a flamethrower is by no means a precision weapon. Also, apparently dragons rock eyes on the sides of their heads because they place more value on their field of view than they do on their depth perception. Check out some more gold from Tumblr with this post where Tumblr uncovers the nine different kinds of movie posters. 

While Chuck E. Cheese has gotten attention for filing bankruptcy and for their sneaky Pasqually's Pizza debacle, we think this Twitter thread involving the chain is far more interesting. Twitter user @Professor_Palmer took to the social media site to announce that for the past few weeks he's been conducting secret behavioral studies on unsuspecting Chuck E. Cheese game players. The experiments are rather simple, and involve adjusting the use of lights and sound in an attempt to better understand what draws people to - or away from - arcade games. The results? Human beings are really, really, easily manipulated. While this isn't the most shocking insight on our kind, seeing Cary Palmer spell it out in such a fun (and thorough) way has been incredibly informative. And very entertaining. 

People have been around for long enough that prankery, shenanigans and cons have enjoyed a great heyday. Pranks and trickery are nothing new, and it's a breath of fresh air to learn that governments, generals, and famous historical figures totally messed with people. For some extra history, here are some history memes that are technically educational. For extra shenanigans, here are some mad lads who played by their own rules.

Someone on AskReddit got a thread going about various things that grew classier over time. Definitely had no idea that lobsters were commonly fed to prisoners back in the day, and had a reputation for being the cockroaches of the sea. 

Does knowing one or two facts about a particular battle actually make anyone that much more aware? Maybe a little. It's hard to tell. What knowing that historical context does do however, is set one up for some sweet memes that use all of history as a great well of inside jokes. For an interesting history thread, here's a tumblr thread about how mundane people are important to history.