YEAR TIMELAPSE SHOWING TRANSFORMATION OF A CIGARETTE BURIED IN SOIL

Nature works in ways that we sometimes cannot fully understand. This is especially true for slower processes that take months or years to complete. For example, to shed light on how the soil can decompose known objects, a creator named Photo Owl creates instructive time-lapse images that show what the Earth is capable of over an extended period of time. In one of his most compelling videos, Photo Owl puts three cigarettes in a glass jar and covers it with mud before sealing it for a year. The results of this unique experiment are simply fascinating. The impact of  soil on  cigarettes is almost instantaneous. The moisture in the mud will wet the paper within a few hours. Just a day later, the cigarettes are already rotting and falling apart. At this point, the real action begins. Organisms living in the soil are beginning to take over the tobacco and make it disappear. Clever close-ups offer an accelerated view of critters inside a can decomposing cigarettes. 

Over time, a layer of light green moss will begin to cover the inside of the jar. After 200 days, only a few pieces of  paper and  filters are left. As further proof that soil fertilisation leads to growth, a small plant appears at the top of the jar. The moment of truth comes a year later when the manufacturer opens the glass container. After removing all the dirt, they notice three cigarette filters. Because the soil separated the paper and tobacco, when the soil was removed from the jar, whatever was left of it crumbled. Photo Owl has done similar experiments with different products, such as a watermelon slice in soil for a little over a month, or  an apple in water for a year. The diverse and unique results show that there is always something going on at the microscopic level, even though we may not be fully aware of it. And while it may take time, the power of nature, even on the smallest scale, should not be underestimated.