Sometimes we stumble onto images that have little to no context, but without a more comprehensive view, we really don’t know what’s going on and what we’re looking at.
But when put side by side, you will see the world in a whole new light. Take a look at these jaw-dropping side by side images that will really challenge your perspective. Ever seen a T-Rex's foot next to an Emu’s foot? A woman’s ankle before and after giving birth? How about a young eagle versus an old one? No? Well, now’s your chance!
The Cost of Chalk at Target Vs. College Bookstore
At Target, customers can buy 12 pieces of white chalk for only 99 cents, compared to this college bookstore, which sells the same product for $11.98. The verdict is in: buy school supplies at Target or other big box stores and stop wasting your hard-earned money at your school's supply shop.
Novia Scotia Tides 12 Hours Apart
Planning to take a dip? Make sure the Nova Scotia tides are high like in the photo on the left. Don’t wait too long because once the tide recedes during the day, the area gets all dried up.
LED Street Lamp Vs. Traditional Street Lamp
The more modern LED street lights on the left are so bright they can light up the whole road, making it sharper and easier to see when driving at night. But the more traditional street lights on the right side are not as bright, making it necessary to rely on a car’s headlights to see.
Michigan Dock From 9am to 11am
The photo on the left of this Michigan dock was taken at 9am, and it’s practically impossible to see beyond the dock because of the thick fog. But two hours later, the fog is gone and the sky is bright blue and sunny.
1995 Data Storage Vs. 2018 Data Storage
In 1995, people needed all of these floppy disks to store 138.24 megabytes (MBs) worth of data. But in 2018, people only need a tiny USB drive to store 128 gigabytes (GBs), which is 128,000 MBs. That’s a significant amount of storage data for such a tiny device.
First Day of Freshman Year Vs. Last Day
Anyone who needs proof that college is hard should take a look at these side-by-side comparison photos. The one on the left shows a happy Freshman student sitting on a bed in a nice and tidy door room on her first day in college. The photo on the right shows the same student on her last day as a freshman. Not only is her room a mess, but she seems stressed and grumpy.
"Game of Thrones" Paperback Vs. Braille Books
The photo on the left shows three “Game of Thrones” books by George R.R. Martin. And the photo on the right shows the same books in Braille. Just think of how much shelf space these three books take up in Braille versus their paperback counterparts.
Utah: Snowy Vs. Sunny
The weather in Utah is totally baffling in the winter. The photo on the left shows a deck and a field covered with snow. But a day later, the snow has melted away and the field and trees are nice and green.
The Difference in Lighting Between Rooms
Ever wonder how much of a difference lighting makes? Then take a look at these two photos. Both were taken at the same time of the day. But the one on the left looks brighter thanks to the lighting in the room. However, the room in the right has less lighting and looks gloomier and colder.
Ceiling Tile from Smoking Vs. Non-Smoking Section
This photo was taken at the Da Nang Airport in Vietnam. It shows what the ceiling tiles in the smoking and non-smoking sections of the terminal look like. The smoking section is brown with tar whereas the non-smoking section is nice and clean.
Summer Vs. Winter
This ski trail sign in the summer is too high to touch without a ladder. Also, the trees and the grass in the background are green, and the sky is bright blue. But the photo on the right, which was taken in the winter, shows that the ground is so full of snow that this skier was able to easily touch the ski trail sign simply by stretching his arm.
Same Age, Different Heights
It might seem like the short kid on the left is younger than the taller kid on the right. But in reality, they’re both 13. This just shows that some kids experience totally different growth spurts even when they're the same age.
2018 Phone Vs. 1998 Phone
The 2018 phone on the left is bigger than the vintage phone and has a full touchscreen with apps like Facebook, YouTube, and Whatsapp at the touch of a fingertip. But the 1998 phone on the right was a basic Motorola phone with a screen big enough to see what numbers were being dialed or who was calling, and that's it.
This Enormous Turtle Fossil Vs. Human
These are the fossilized remains of a turtle that once roamed South America. Not only was it the size of a car, but it made a modern human look tiny in comparison. To prove it, the man on the right was asked to lay next to the fossil.
Barcelona at Night Vs. Day
Although both versions of Barcelona look like something that came out of the popular game Sim City, they’re as different as night and day. The nighttime shot shows the city blocks swimming in an ocean of orange light, making the buildings more subdued. But in the daytime, the city blocks are lit by the sun, so the buildings stand out more.
Piggybacking With His Cousin in 2005 and 2020
Getting a piggyback ride from his much older cousin in 2005 looked cute and all. But doing the same in 2020 was way more difficult as the former kid was all grown up and bigger, not to mention heavier.
News Anchor From the Back Vs. the Front
The news anchor on the right looks absolutely flawless and professional. But most people don’t realize that she’s always hooked up to a bunch of different audio gadgets in the back as seen in the photo on the left.
A Raw Croissant Versus a Baked One
This photo was shared by a professional baker to show just how different a raw croissant looks versus a baked one. In terms of size, the raw version is relatively small and white. But after it’s baked, it comes out looking puffier, darker, and flakier. And the baked croissant probably tastes far better than its unbaked counterpart.
This Frog is Tinier Than a Penny
Frogs come in all shapes, sizes and colors, but rarely do people realize just how tiny some are. So, when one person found this tiny frog, they placed it on top of a penny for scale. This will make everyone watch where they step a little more carefully from now on.
Three Dollar Stacks, $100 Each
There are $100 in each of these separate stacks of dollars. So why do the first and second stacks look bigger than the third? Easy. The first stack is full of well used bills. The second stack has bills that have been in circulation for a little while. But the third stack has brand new bills, which is why it’s the smallest stack in the bunch.
First Day of Kindergarten Versus 30 Years Later
These photos were taken 30 years apart. The one on the left shows a little girl who doesn’t seem too happy about her first day of kindergarten. This is pretty interesting given that she became a teacher 30 years later.
Service Guy’s Signature Changed in Two Months
Check out Brendon H’s signature from 11/28 to 1/26. He started out writing his name in block script. But in just two short months, his signature turned into cursive and then finally into something totally illegible. Clearly, Brendon’s enthusiasm for his job took a dive.
A Snail at 4 cm Vs. 17 cm
When this person first collected this snail, it had a shell that was only 4 centimeters long and took up a small section of her hand. But in less than a year, the snail’s shell grew to 17 centimeters and the creature covered the entire palm of her hand.
Bacteria From Someone With and Without a Mask
A doctor decided to capture bacteria into an agar culture plate from a sneeze, a minute singing, a minute talking and two coughs with and without a mask. The plates on the left show a higher level of bacteria from respiratory droplets versus the plates on the right from someone that was masked.
One Lunar and One Martian Meteorite Sample
The gray and white meteorite sample came from the moon. But ironically, the black meteorite sample came from the planet Mars. That’s pretty interesting given that scientists are always calling Mars the red planet.
2-Week-Old Vs. a Burrito
The 2-week-old baby boy on the left is adorable, no doubt, and almost the same size as the burrito his mother is holding next to him on the right. Both are equally lovely for different reasons, but they definitely give people a different kind of joy.
Woman’s Ankle Before and After Giving Birth
The photo on the left shows a foot two days before this woman gave birth. On the right is a photo of the same foot two days after the woman gave birth. It's amazing to see how much less bloated the ankle has become.
Normal Vs. Flash Flood View of Havasupai Falls
Both photos are of the Havasupai Falls in Supai, Arizona. But the one on the left shows the water being much clearer as it falls into the body of water below. The photo on the right shows the water looking murkier and muddier as the result of a flash flood.
Young Vs. Older Bald Eagle
Most people assume that a bald eagle’s head plumage is always white, but it isn’t. The image on the left is a young bald eagle and it took five years for it to obtain its white plumage, which is seen in the photo on the right.
$10 Lightsaber Vs. $400 Lightsaber
“Star Wars” fans would recognize either of these items as a lightsaber—a weapon used by the Jedis, the Siths, and Darth Vader in the sci-fi film series. But the one on the left is $10 and is so dim compared to the one on the right, which is worth $400 and lights up spectacularly. It even makes the swooshing sound when the user moves the sword back and forth.
Happily Ever After 60 Years Later
Who says there’s no such thing as happily ever after anymore? These before and after photos were taken 60 years apart. And the woman on the right is still able to fit into the same blue wedding dress she wore decades earlier.
Pup Vs. 3 Years Later
The photo on the left shows a dog when he was just a puppy. In fact, he was so small, he could fit inside his owner’s boot. 3 years later, the dog was all grown up and could only fit one of his paws into the same boot.
Grandpa and His Friend Then and Now
These two Navy soldiers took the photo on the left around 1942 or 1943. Ironically, they were born across the street from each other and 2 hours apart. Several decades later, they took a photo together when they both turned 93. And while their hair has gotten grayer, their smiles and friendship haven’t changed a bit.
First Day of Elementary School Vs. Last Day of Teacher Training
The kid on the left was posing for this photo on his first day of elementary school. Several years later, the grown-up version, now a man, posed the exact same way for his last day of teacher training.
Moms With Kids Vs. Dads With Kids
On the left is mom sliding down a giant slide with her son and both seem to be enjoying themselves. But the photo on the left shows dad enjoying himself all on his own while his kid is left to slide by himself, and he looks terrified.
U.S. President Obama Before Vs. After
No, you're not looking at a wax figure from Madame Tussauds. Both of these photos are of United States President Barack Obama. But the one on the left was taken before his first State of the Union Address. The one on the right was taken after his last State of the Union Address. Evidently, being president isn't an easy job.
Two Types of Valentine’s Evenings Planned
Valentine’s Day is the time where couples get to celebrate their love for each other. But this is what it looks like when someone is single versus in a relationship. The products in the front are clearly from the single customer who prefers the company of 12 pieces of fried chicken and a bottle of Jack Daniels while the other customer is buying flowers and some cupcakes for his significant other.
Human Vs. Gorilla Skeleton
It’s insane seeing how much different a gorilla’s skeleton is to a human skeleton. For one thing, the gorilla’s facial structure is way more different, particularly in the slope of the forehead and the cheekbones. And then there’s the ribcage, not to mention the hip bones that are way larger than the ones on a human skeleton.
Australia Vs. Pluto
Pluto may no longer be considered a planet and it’s easy to see why. The most obvious reason is that when compared to Australia, the land down under is actually bigger than the former planet. However, Pluto is round and has more surface area.
Titanic Vs. Today’s Cruise Ships
In the early 20th century, the RMS Titanic was considered the largest ocean liner and the second of three Olympic-class ships owned by White Star Line. But today’s cruise ships are far bigger and would dwarf the former ocean liner.
Computer Storage In the 1970s Vs. Today
A 10-megabyte hard drive in the 1970s looked like a large magnetic disk. In those days, 10 MBs would get someone far. But in today’s world, 10 MBs is nothing and modern science now allows people to store 1 terabyte inside a single SD card.
Elephant Foot Vs. Human Foot
An elephant’s foot and a human foot definitely look completely dissimilar on the outside. But this cross-section and x-ray show that from a skeletal perspective, the two species have similar bone structures in their feet.
Sad Pooch Vs. Happy Pooch
They say a day can make all the difference in a dog’s life and it certainly did in this case. The photo on the left shows a dog that was just rescued and taken to a kennel in West Virginia. She initially looked very sad. But a day after she was given some TLC at her new home plus something to eat and drink, she was upbeat and happy.
Grain of Rice Vs. Microcomputer
A grain of rice might seem pretty small to the untrained eye. But that tiny device next to it is currently the world’s tiniest computer. The University of Michigan designed the 0.3mm machine to detect temperature changes in human cells.
500 Pounds Vs. 150 Pounds
Two doctors had told the man on the left that he wouldn’t survive past the age of 40 because he weighed 500 pounds. So, he decided to get fit and healthy. And the photo on the left shows the same man weighing 150 pounds on his 40th birthday.
T-Rex's Foot Vs. an Emu’s Foot
This photo will convince anyone that birds are closely related to dinosaurs. See the foot on the left? That’s what a T-Rex's foot looked like back in the day. Now look at the photo of an Emu’s foot on the right. It's uncanny how incredibly similar they are.
Fat Cat Vs. Skinny Cats in the Snow
The person who took this photo has a big cat and two skinny cats. The huge crevice in the snow was actually made by the chunkiest member of the family while the tiny paw prints on the right were made by their two skinny cats.