# What does this picture look like to you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 24, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220 "2005-09-24T16:57:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/1 "2005-09-24T16:57:01Z")
Here’s a picture I took a year ago. Most people, if they just look at it without knowing anything about it, think it’s something completely different than it actually is. [Click here](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v242/xgxlx/DSCF0395.jpg) for the picture. Make your guess now, then look at the spoiler. It’s a picture I took on an airplane ride, just above the clouds. I bet you said it was either the ocean, or a snowy tundra. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/2 "2005-09-24T16:58:12Z")
Nope, I recognized it for what it was. Of course, you have only my word on that. Good enough for you? ---
**Author:** ![Balle\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/13edae/32.png) [@Balle\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balle_M)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/3 "2005-09-24T16:58:50Z")
My guess would have been snow or the polar icepack. Nice picture, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/4 "2005-09-24T17:01:39Z")
Clouds from above? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/5 "2005-09-24T17:05:36Z")
I got it right. Sorry. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/6 "2005-09-24T17:07:14Z")
> [@Balle\_M](#): > > My guess would have been snow or the polar icepack. > > Nice picture, BTW. Yeah, man, them polar icepacks are really great for keeping things cold in your cooler!. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/7 "2005-09-24T17:45:52Z")
Ice field. Now I’ll read the spoiler. ---
**Author:** ![rinni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f6c823/32.png) [@rinni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rinni)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/8 "2005-09-24T17:48:42Z")
My thoughts went like this. Well, it looks like snow, but since the OP said it wasn’t what it looked like at first glance, I’m going to guess it’s clouds. Of course, if you hadn’t given the warning that it wasn’t what it looked like, I would have stuck with my original guess! ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/9 "2005-09-24T17:50:21Z")
I guessed right because of the puffiness. But before I noticed the texture, I thought it was the ocean. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/10 "2005-09-24T18:24:48Z")
I thought snow. ---
**Author:** ![FaerieBeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FaerieBeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FaerieBeth)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/11 "2005-09-24T18:46:04Z")
I instantly knew what it was, but then, I’m never on the aisle seat. I’m slightly uncomfortable in planes, so I am always looking out the window. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Foaming\_Cleanser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Foaming\_Cleanser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foaming_Cleanser)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/12 "2005-09-24T18:55:10Z")
I thought it was by back yard. Then I realized the pink flamingos are missing. ---
**Author:** ![Tamryne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@Tamryne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamryne)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/13 "2005-09-24T19:21:45Z")
I was on a plane ride a few years back at 3 in the morning. The sun looked like that right after we cleared the clouds… It made waking up that early worth it, especially as the sun rose and the clouds turned into a kalidescope of colors… Thanks for bringing back good memories **Electronic Chaos**! (I guessed on the first time too, btw) ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/14 "2005-09-24T19:45:52Z")
Hell frozen over. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Side_of_the_Floyd)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/15 "2005-09-24T20:05:26Z")
> [@hillbilly queen](#): > > I guessed right because of the puffiness. But before I noticed the texture, I thought it was the ocean. Same. ---
**Author:** ![Arch\_Trout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9f8e36/32.png) [@Arch\_Trout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arch_Trout)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/16 "2005-09-24T20:55:36Z")
> [@Dark Side of the Floyd](#): > > Same. Me too. One of my favourite things about air travel is views like that. ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/17 "2005-09-24T21:24:55Z")
I thought it was clouds, but then I thought it might be snow because it was supposed to be non-obvious, and then I looked at it closely and said, “clouds, definitely clouds.” ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/18 "2005-09-24T21:31:52Z")
I recognized it, but then thought, “Wait, that’s what he _wants_ me to think!” So I looked again, thought, “It kinda looks like a snowy tundra … except it’s too smooth on a macro scale. Even if this were Antarctica, there’d be more than just plain ol’ flatness as far as the eye can see, right?” So I went with my original thought. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/19 "2005-09-24T21:33:14Z")
I thought it was Uranus. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220/20 "2005-09-24T21:40:18Z")
I got it right the first time, but snow and water did also cross my mind. My next best guess would have been “mashed potatoes to the horizon”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-picture-look-like-to-you/323220.md?page=2)