If you’ve spent any time amid suburban sprawl, you might be inclined to think that the world is a pretty dull place. But once you step beyond the strip mall — say, to one of these destinations — you’ll soon realize that Earth holds a plethora of beautiful landscapes that seem to belong to a world other than our own: Caño Cristales, Colombia A rare aquatic plant called Macarenia clavier causes this river to turn virtually every shade of the rainbow depending on the season.

From the Sentinelese to the Korowai, these uncontacted tribes know almost nothing of the world we take for granted.Wikimedia CommonsA member of the Dani tribe of Papua, New Guinea. This tribe had been unknown to Westerners until the 1930s. By most estimates, there are more than 100 uncontacted tribes of indigenous peoples around the world. While relatively small, they are whole communities that know little to nothing of the invention of the automobile or the radio — let alone the internet.

James Harrison The IndependentJames Harrison, who donated blood each week for almost 60 years. Australian James Harrison, like Henrietta Lacks, was given the power to save the world by chance – but it was his decision about what to do with his power that made him a real-life hero. James Harrison began donating blood at the age of 18 never knowing that he was doing something remarkable. It wasn’t until the mid-1960s, years after he’d begun donating, that Harrison’s doctors realized that his blood was something special.

James Schafer, The 1920s Cult Leader Who Tried To Raise An Immortal Child Brooklyn Daily EagleA photo of Baby Jean in a 1940 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Sometimes, people seek immortality not for themselves but for their cause. Enter James Schafer, the leader of a little-known cult called the Royal Fraternity of Master Metaphysicians. Schafer founded the cult in the 1920s and referred to himself as its “Messenger.

Marcy Borders: The “Dust Lady” Of 9/11 Stan Honda/Getty ImagesThis photo of Marcy Borders showed Americans everywhere the horror of 9/11. A number of photographs capture 9/11 in all its horrific, shocking detail. And one of the most famous is that of Marcy Borders, known as the “Dust Lady.” Borders began her day by commuting to work at the World Trade Center. The 28-year-old took the elevator to the 81st floor of the North Tower, where she’d recently gotten a job as a clerical assistant with Bank of America.