this post was submitted on 09 Oct 2025
642 points (99.5% liked)

pics

25064 readers
490 users here now

Rules:

1.. Please mark original photos with [OC] in the title if you're the photographer

2..Pictures containing a politician from any country or planet are prohibited, this is a community voted on rule.

3.. Image must be a photograph, no AI or digital art.

4.. No NSFW/Cosplay/Spam/Trolling images.

5.. Be civil. No racism or bigotry.

Photo of the Week Rule(s):

1.. On Fridays, the most upvoted original, marked [OC], photo posted between Friday and Thursday will be the next week's banner and featured photo.

2.. The weekly photos will be saved for an end of the year run off.

Weeks 2023

Instance-wide rules always apply. https://mastodon.world/about

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Photo: Maarten Inghels

Years ago, I found this cobblestone on the street in Brussels with the golden inscription “I USED TO BE A MOUNTAIN.” Like a speech bubble rising from a choked rock. After all these years, I still haven’t been able to find out who made it—there’s no record of it anywhere as a listed artwork. I see it now as a poetic intervention by an anonymous city dweller.

all 36 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] ICastFist@programming.dev 1 points 20 hours ago

Then it took a pickaxe to the knee

[–] Jessica@discuss.tchncs.de 10 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)
[–] Jimmycrackcrack@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 day ago

I knew what this was going to be before I clicked it. Such an excellent film.

[–] Madzielle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Why did this make me cry, I really like this short film

[–] utopiah@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Thanks. It'd nice to provide the location, lat/lon or OpenStreetMap link.

[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 33 points 2 days ago (3 children)

The complex atoms that make up you and me were born out of the hearts of exploding dying stars billions of years ago. Those atoms drifted, floated and danced across the universe, onto our planet where they were again moved, mixed and rearranged to make this walking talking meat skeleton powered by electricity.

[–] Jarix@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

We are all stardust

[–] oce@jlai.lu 9 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Orchestrated by electrical messages but I think powered by ATP.

[–] Ferk@programming.dev 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

ATP (and any molecule, really) is just a particular configuration of electrical particles that use electromagnetism to hold together some mass.

[–] oce@jlai.lu 5 points 2 days ago

I guess if you include the electrostatic interaction in the "powered by electricity" above and not just the common meaning of electricity which is electric current.

[–] IndigoLarry@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

Yeah, they lost me at electricity. I think this is a copypasta.

[–] Ferk@programming.dev 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

Much of the water you and me drink, used to be pee and fecal sludge.

[–] Honytawk@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 day ago

... of DINOSAURS! :O

[–] naeap@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 days ago

That's why Gatorade is much better!

[–] Bonus@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago
[–] Fluffy_Ruffs@lemmy.world 13 points 2 days ago (2 children)

That's actually a mildly depressing way to put it. Reduced from a majestic, imposing, mass to something humans tread on without a second thought.

[–] athairmor@lemmy.world 29 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Oh, for fucks sake not everything is holy and should remain immutable forever. Not everything humans do to their environment is bad.

Besides, this is probably granite which would have been under a mountain that got worn away. It was probably buried underground and quarried. No one saw a big impressive mountain and chopped it down.

[–] sefra1@lemmy.zip -1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You must be fun at parties

[–] Jarix@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

3 hours after you posted. You have 0 upvotes and they have 22.

Looks like you are the one who must be fun at parties judging from the numbers

[–] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 0 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

Actually, I'd venture to say they were right, and they're no fun at parties

[–] Jarix@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

You are entitled to your opinion, but I was analysing the numbers. Which at this moment are 29 to -1

And I explained that so, you can disagree with me all you want. I don't care because my comment still holds up regardless of what you believe

[–] Tlf@feddit.org 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Going off, chopping mountains, as one does. On a more serious note, are there examples of this? I only know of humans raising mountains and usually they're not of the good kind.

Edit: It appears this is a thing humans are doing. And it looks just as horrific as I feared it might.

[–] athairmor@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yeah, mountain top strip mining is a thing but it’s done for coal, mainly. It is horrific.

[–] Trainguyrom@reddthat.com 2 points 1 day ago

The worst part is coal is such a terrible fuel there's no good reason to keep doing it. We've already mined most of the accessible coal that can be easily mined, and we have better fuels now that burn cleaner and more easily than coal, and even for the odd one-off usecase where coal is the best option we have modern alternatives that contain no coal and burn similarly.

Killing coal is one of the easiest wins Humanity could achieve because it's entirely outmoded but moneyed interests keep it on life support for no reason other than money

[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 10 points 2 days ago

With a tough guy tattoo like that, you just know he used to be a decorative stone in a fountain or some shit.

[–] toynbee@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

Brussels toynbee tile.

[–] spykee@lemmings.world 0 points 1 day ago

....and I used to be good, really good.
Life fucks everybody, you aren't special.

[–] fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com 5 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Had I seen this two weeks ago when passing through, I may have hunted it down.

[–] IndigoLarry@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I passed through Brussels in 2023. I wish I had stayed a little longer. I really liked it there.

[–] fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I passed through twice, had to be in the Netherlands for work and while I was there my partner visited family in the UK. So we took a week off after and met in Brussels before going to Ghent and Bruges and back to Brussels before heading back to the UK.

That first day we did wander and go to some of the sights (we aren't very touristy) but really liked it. If you ever are back in the area, I highly recommend Ghent!

[–] IndigoLarry@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Yes! I've heard good things. A friend of mine was just there and I'm meeting up with him tomorrow. Can't wait to ask about it. Cheers!

[–] RizzRustbolt@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

No. That used to be flowing magma.

[–] Redfox8@mander.xyz 1 points 1 day ago

Igneous rock lover enters the chat!

(Waiting to be shot down for my geological ignorance!)

[–] tetris11@feddit.uk 3 points 2 days ago

Driving around North Wales 😢