11 Things That We May Not Notice but Surround Us Every Day

Not everything is what it seems. And the most surprising thing is that although we are used to interacting with all the elements that surround us in our day-to-day, it is likely that we are missing some details. When you really pay attention to an object, you will begin to notice little features of it, and your mind will begin to ask more about the meaning behind them.

1. Holes in airplane windows

If you’ve ever noticed, there’s a tiny hole in your airplane window, but there’s nothing to be worried about. There are 2 main purposes these holes serve. The first one is to compensate for the difference in air pressure as the altitude changes. And the second one is to prevent the window from fogging up.

2. Metal rivets in your denim jeans

We wear our denim jeans almost every day, but chances are you haven’t thought about the reason why denim jeans have those little metal studs. The answer is not because they make them look fashionable, but because they serve to keep the jeans from unraveling.

Denim jeans first became popular with the working class, and since they were worn for long, hard shifts, denim jeans were prone to ripping. To prevent this, small metal rivets were implemented in common areas where jeans used to rip. That’s why we still keep them in the present.

3. The small hole in pen caps

The small hole at the top of a pen cap is actually a safety feature. If you have ever found yourself with the cap of a pen in your mouth, this little hole has been made with you in mind. In the event that the pen cap is accidentally swallowed, this hole would allow air to pass through and prevent suffocation.

4. Margins in notebooks

When you were in school, you probably noticed those margins in your notebooks. After writing many essays, it was easy to assume these margins probably helped us to keep a structure on the page, but the truth behind the invention of those margins is far more interesting.

In previous years, rats were unwelcome guests in many homes and used to eat paper. So that rats wouldn’t eat the paper with important notes, manufacturers began to leave blank spaces and a margin around the edges of the paper to protect the writing.

5. Paper cups in fast food restaurants

This is a smart hack for an everyday item we see at fast food restaurants. Those paper cups can be extended, so you can put more condiments on them. Simply stretch out the rim and put as much ketchup or mustard on it as you want, never needing another cup and minimizing waste.

6. Pom-pom hats

Pom-pom hats may be all the rage in the winter season, and chances are you have one in your closet. The reason behind the pom-pom, beyond being a cute addition to the hat, is that it was useful to French sailors. When the waters got rough, the pom-poms on their hats kept them from hitting their heads on the low roofs of the boats.

7. Bumps on the “F” and “J” keys of the computer keyboard

If you haven’t noticed those bumps on your keyboard, you might want to take a look now. The little bumps on the “F” and “J” keys serve as a guide for people while placing their fingers on the keyboard. They are also useful when you want to type faster without looking down at your keyboard.

8. Extra eyelets on shoes

Those extra eyelets on your shoes are, so you can adjust your them to your own desired fit. Simply thread the laces through them, and you’ll feel more stability in the shoe, preventing your foot from moving around in it.

9. Brushes on escalators

If you’ve ever found yourself polishing your shoes with escalator brushes, well, the purpose of those brushes isn’t what you might think. The real reason these brushes exist is that they work as a safety feature. They are designed to keep feet away from escalator skirt panels and prevent bags or skirts from getting stuck.

10. Double-sided cotton rounds

Makeup pads are commonly used to remove makeup, but what’s interesting is that you can also use them to apply makeup as well. The reason these cotton pads have 2 different sides is that with the irregular side, you can apply makeup, and the flat side is for removing it.

11. Plastic lids

Some of the plastic cup lids used in restaurants can serve as coasters. So if you’re working at your desk with an iced coffee, simply take the lid of the cup, turn it upside down, and use it as a coaster.

Bonus: a fourth dimension that surrounds us

Movies like Doctor Strange and other Marvel productions have put in our imagination the possibility of experiencing different universes. These other realities could hold a doorway to unimaginable dimensions. But even when it sounds like sci-fi movie material, in 2016, a group of scientists proved the existence of a 4D dimension. And as fascinating as it sounds, we can predict what it would look like.

If you have ever dreamt of traveling through time, the 4D dimension might be for you. In this dimension, the concept of the past, present, and future is meaningless. A person living in the fourth dimension would never have a distinctive past, present, and future, as time here would work in a completely different way. You would be able to time travel as you desire.

In a 4D world, humans would have the ability to see what is inside objects in our 3D universe — yes, even the organs inside your body. Imagine when you make a drawing of a circle with dots inside, that this is a 2D drawing. Now, if you were able to move those points and get them off the sheet, we’re talking about a 4D dimension.

These are the principles researchers think that a 4D dimension would be based on, and we’d be able to see and even go through anything.

And last but not least, in a 4D world, your fingers might look like different irregular shapes, so instead of just having 5 fingers, imagine having multiple sets of them.

Which of these things shocked you the most and why? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!