We understand new things by putting them against what we already know—the differences and similarities that emerge help us grasp details in ways that abstract definitions often can’t.
So for this list, we’ve compiled a set of funny, bizarre, and even unsettling comparisons. From everyday objects to cool inventions and rare natural phenomena, each side-by-side photo offers a fresh way to look at the world around us.
There are so many curiosities out there, we just have to open our eyes!
#1 Before And After Playdate
#2 Bald Eagle Size vs. Grey Wolf, Caught On Trail Cam
The scientific term for analyzing new ideas by placing them beside something familiar is analogical thinking.
Psychologist Dedre Gentner’s structure-mapping research shows analogies work because people map relational patterns between a known “base” and an unknown “target,” not merely surface similarities. That relational mapping is what lets a learner transfer understanding from one domain to another.
#3 Shirts Before And After Losing 400 Lbs
#4 The Size Of A Hummingbird Nest
#5 A Soldier’s Face After 4 Years Of War, 1941- 1945
Gentner herself often uses the classic analogy of flowing water compared to electrical circuits.
In the “base” domain of water flow, water moves through pipes under pressure from water towers or elevation. In the “target” domain of electricity, electrical current flows through wires driven by voltage (electrical pressure).
Despite the differences—pipes vs. wires, water vs. electrons—the relational structure is the same, and it’s that shared relational schema that makes the analogy meaningful.
#6 The Difference Three Months Of Hardcore Chemotherapy Makes
#7 Before And After: Graffiti Commissioned By Local Government In Pachuca, Mexico
#8 Before And After Taking My Golden Retriever To The Beach
#9 Two Different Currents Meeting Off The Coast Of Vancouver, British Columbia
Education researchers have put this into practice. Studies and systematic reviews of classroom work find that analogies, especially when visual or explicitly mapped out, help learners anchor abstract scientific concepts in everyday experience.
Teachers commonly use images, textual cues, and audiovisual aids to compare known and unknown domains, and these strategies are associated with improved comprehension when used methodically.
#10 These Are X-Rays Taken Before And After The Surgery
It has been 4 years to the day since I had my scoliosis surgery. The surgery itself took 14 hours. Surgeons drilled metal straightening bars into my spine.
#11 Concrete Before And After Stamping It For A Stone Tile Look
#12 The Before And After In La Palma, Spain Where The “Cumbre Vieja” Volcano Erupted For 80+ Days In 2021
#13 Before And After Floor Sanding
#14 Pirates Of The Caribbean, Before And After Cgi
#15 Before And After Dog Park
#16 My Old Trowel I Use For Stonework And A New One
#17 The Blinds Show The Difference In Prescription Of My Eyes
#18 The Size Of Bears Against Average Human Height
#19 Before And After Some Creative Graffiti
#20 Sheepdog Before And After A Lil Haircut
#21 The Different Norwegian National Costumes At Different Ages
#22 Before Watering And About An Hour After Watering
#23 The Size Difference Between Me And My Opposing Goalie The Other Night. I’m 5’3 W/O Skates And He’s 6’7 W/O Skates
#24 My Notes Before And After Being Prescribed Adderall
#25 Ancient vs. Modern
#26 LED Street Lamp vs. Traditional Street Lamp
#27 Smoker vs. Non Smoker
#28 The Before And After Of My Jaw Surgery
#29 Piece Of Paper Cut With Scissors vs. Torn Piece Of Paper Under A Microscope
#30 My Dog Pees On This One Spot Everyday And Now The Grass Looks Different
#31 A Gorilla Skeleton Compared To A Humans
#32 Writing With Non-Dominant Hand Over A Week
#33 Found 8 Different Colors Of Sand Within 10 Feet Of Each Other At The Beach
#34 Different Hives In The Roof Of This Gazebo
#35 Before & After Cosplay Transformation
#36 This Company Sent Me A Sample Of Their Silk To Burn So I Can Test Authenticity
#37 This Trail Before And After Logging
#38 Crew Dragon Capsule Before And After Flight To Space Station
#39 Pineapple Grown In My Balcony vs. Pineapple From The Supermarket
#40 Socal Before And After A Wet Winter
#41 Oregon – The Gorge Before And After A Teenager Lit Fireworks
#42 The Difference Between Someone 5’2 And 6’2 Taking Our Picture
#43 When I Asked For Salt For My Steak, The Server Brought Out Four Different Kinds For Me To Chose From
#44 Before And After The Race
#45 My Skin Before, During, And After An Iron Infusion. (6 Hours Between The First And Last Photo)
#46 Before And After Hip Replacement Surgery
#47 2001 vs. 2020
#48 The Difference In My Legs After Having My Achilles’ Tendon Severed
#49 Hiroshima Before And After The A-Bomb. 78 Years Ago Today On August 6, 1945
#50 Our Chicken Eggs Before And After Free Ranging
#51 Before And After Visual Fx In Movies
#52 Michigan. The View At 9am vs. 11am
#53 This Half Tore Down Apartment Building Exposed The Different Color Apartments
#54 60 Year Old 2×4 vs. New
#55 Gloves Before And After Handling Ballots For Half A Day
#56 Economy Meal Comparison Traveling From Japan (Ana vs. United)
#57 Grandma’s Backyard In Puerto Rico Before And After Hurricanes Harvey And Irma
#58 Before And After Hurricane Laura In Lake Charles, Louisiana
#59 The Difference In Upkeep On Both Sides Of These Semi-Detached Houses
#60 The Difference Between Ground Beef (On The Right) And The Liquid Attractant That Comes With The Hornet Trap (On The Left)
#61 Ct Scan Of An Apple Airpod (Left) vs. Two Replicas
#62 The Color Difference In My Hands After Donating Blood
#63 The Volume Difference Between 15lbs Shredded And Unshredded Cheese
#64 Before And After Silver Dollar I Carved By Hand
#65 I Took My Temperature Before And After Eating A Bowl Of Ice Cream
#66 Before And After Going Through A Box Of Crest White Strips
#67 Spacex Raptor Engines Before And After
#68 The Graphics Of Gta 5 vs. Gta 6
#69 My Dad’s Sunset Photos Demonstrate The Difference That Posture, Outfit, & Basic Readiness Makes
#70 My Grandparents Had The Full Coke Bottle Collection From Different Years
#71 This Is How Jail Transforms People
