40 Times People Had No Clue What They Found, But The Internet Solved The Mystery (New Pics)
Curiosity is a beautiful thing to have. We would never have culinary classics like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches if no one ever thought about pairing the two flavors together. And thinking outside the box is a requirement for innovation.
So if you happen to stumble upon something that you’ve never seen before, we encourage you not to ignore it. But instead, to wonder what in the world it is. In the spirit of being curious, we took a trip to the “What is this thing?” subreddit and gathered some of their most interesting pics below. Enjoy scrolling through these mysterious items, and be sure to upvote the ones that you would have needed to ask the internet about too!
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A Stone Object With Tiny Carved Stone Pieces Inside It
It’s a seal/stamp set. If the bottom of each small pieces are smooth, they are for you to custom to carve your name (pen name). A lot of workshops in China can do it easily. Maybe your local China town will be able to do it as well. Cool stuff.
Probably too much additional info, the words on the top of the box is 东壁图书,it should mean “the two stars 东and 壁, rule over all the books and graphs in the world”, it comes from some old Chinese poetry: 东壁图书府,西园翰墨林。 诵诗闻国政,讲易见天心。 位窃和羹重,恩叨醉酒深。 缓歌春兴曲,情竭为知音。
Roughly translated in: In the east, a library grand, In the west, a forest of brush in hand. Through poetry, the nation’s course we hear, Through the Book of Changes, heaven’s will appears.
A high station, honored, yet lightly borne, With gratitude for favors deep as morn. Soft songs evoke the joy of spring, True friendship inspires the heart to sing.
I love it. I love the translated poetry and I would love a stamp set like this. Beautiful
Found This Cabinet Door In Our New House. What Is This Supposed To Be Used For?
Storing baking trays right next to the oven.
We had one of these in my parents' old house, I totally forgot about that!!
Foot And A Half Long Fabric Cushion Hanging From Interior Hotel Door Knob
It's to keep the door from closing. You put a loop on each side of the door handle and the cushion keeps the door from latching so you can bring in luggage, etc.
Have you ever come across an item that made you wonder, “What the heck is this?” You may have found a peculiar object lying in the street, noticed something strange in your partner’s kitchen or come across a puzzling object at a thrift store. In these moments, Google can’t always provide the help we need. It’s hard to describe something when you have no idea what it’s called or where it came from, but r/Whatisthisthing will always have your back.
This community has been around for 15 years and has amassed an impressive 2.9 million members. That means, if you reach out to them asking for help identifying an item, there are nearly 3 million people who will be willing to get to the bottom of what it is. Even if the object is a hundred years old or was found in your grandmother’s attic, you won’t have to wonder about what its purpose is for long.
Just Moved Into A New Apartment, Didn’t Notice This On First Walk Though. What Is It? (Three Wooden Sticks Painted White, On Hinge That Lets Them Swing, By Backdoor)
A classic old school towel drying rack.
What Are The Little Finger-Sized Pockets For On This Leather Jacket?
Shotgun shells. It’s a hunting jacket.
And the padded shoulder is where the rifle or shotgun rests on the shoulder of a right-handed hunter.
This Came In A Swag Bag At A Career Fair. It Is Two Buttons On Either Side Of An Elastic Strip. No Holes. What Is This?
Ear saver for n95 mask. Hook the elastic over the buttons instead of your ears.
It’s probably not going to be every day that you discover something you’ve never seen before. But when these rare moments do happen where you find yourself asking what an item is, it’s nice to have a game plan to figure it out.
According to the Science & Industry Museum in Manchester, the first step is checking for clues about where the object came from. For example, you might be able to spot a brand name, a serial number, the manufacturer’s name, the year it was created, etc. Any information you can find on the item might be helpful in your search!
Heavy Metal Cone With Some Sort Of Measuring Markings On It, Has Threads On The Inside
Your post indicates you may possibly be in possession of unexploded ordnance (UXO).
Have you tried hitting it with a large hammer to see what happens? ;-)
What Did I Find? Found Underneath A Bathroom Vanity During Remodeling. They Are Small About 2 Inches Long. Little Glass Tubes Filled With Liquid
Looks like antique perfume ampules. Also called perfume nips.
Metal Sphere Found Floating In Ocean On Se Alaskan Coast
Ship captain here. On the gooseneck vents that ships and boats have on deck, there's a wire mesh screen right at the bottom of the opening and inside is a spherical aluminum ball. If water comes up on deck the ball will float up and plug the tube that comes from the ballast tank, water tank, fuel tank, void space or whatever it is. I've got three spares in my deck locker that look just like that.
Next, start searching online using keywords that might help you identify the strange object. These words might include the color, the shape, the material and more. It’s also important to consider where you found the item, even if it might not seem relevant at first. If something ended up at a garage sale or flea market, it can be difficult to track down its origin. But keep in mind the part of the country you’re in, who was selling it and more. Every item has a story, and it’s fascinating to connect all of the dots of an object’s journey!
Small Handheld Thing In A Ring Box Has An Electric Coil On The Bottom Of The Insert
It's a crystal radio. The galena crystal is on top (whisker) and the coil on the bottom.
I remember playing with a crystal radio many years ago. They are kind of 'magical' because they look more or less like a rock, some metal and a cheap ear bud. No power, nothing fancy. They are a bit fiddly to tune in a station but once you do, it's weird listening to the radio over basically nothing. They are not going to replace my 7.1 surround system, but still cool. :)
What Is This Thing? Found In A Creek Bed That I Explored Yesterday. It Is 17.8 Pounds And 5 Inches In Diameter. It Was Found In Kentucky
It’s called 18 pound round shot and was used on US, French, and British ships, so it came from a ship near there. It’s solid iron.
It’s round shot that can only be used in smooth bore cannons, so it could be Civil War or could be revolutionary war. Look into if there were any battles near there and you can find more provenance.
Large Random Concrete "Steps" In A Field Outside Castle Cary, Somerset
It’s a spillway for the river. If the river floods it should flow out there before breaking the bank elsewhere. The steps are to slow down the water so it causes less erosion.
Once you’ve established what exactly an item is, it’s also a good idea to seek out any information you can find from museums or online records about where exactly it came from and if there’s anything about that specific one that makes it special. For example, it might have been created for one purpose and then adapted to do something else over time. Or it might have had significance in the media, if it was featured in a particular film or book in the past. Even something as simple as an antique toaster might have a unique story.
Raised Circles That Just Showed Up On My Wall Within The Past Day
Sheetrock nails that are working out. Wall has flexed causing the nail heads to pop out.
What Is This Small, Intricately Carved Thing I Found At An Estate Sale, And What Is It Made Of?
It is part of a cover for a 19th/20th century Qing Dynasty Chinese gourd cricket cage. Probably ivory, possibly bone. There would have been a carved lattice base as well as a wood collar, all fitted to a gourd container.
Here is a nice complete one.
https://www.zacke.at/auction/lot/9-an-ivory-and-gourd-sanyang-cricket-cage-qing-dynasty/?lot=38580&sd=1
Here is one missing the part you have. https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/chinese-carved-gourd-cricket-cage-61-c-c4b4b99a4f
What’s This Thing In The Background Of The Office? Light Beige Plastic, Has A Brown Wall Mount And What Looks Like A Cord. Was In The Kitchen Area
Early 1980s model Black and Decker SpotLiter brand rechargeable flashlight.
Whoa, core memory unlocked. My dad had this exact flashlight when I was a kid!
One wonderful thing about the age that we live in is having access to unlimited information on the internet. And with that, we have unlimited access to connections as well. Internet sleuths are incredibly impressive nowadays, and if you can’t find something out on your own, there’s an extremely high chance that someone else can help you out. That niche item that’s been sitting in your father’s garage for decades can easily be identified by groups like r/Whatisthisthing.
Strange Brick Room In Our 1860s House
Could it be a dairy room?
A dairy room was a space on a farm where cheese and butter were prepared. It was often part of the farm kitchen for sanitary reasons and ease of access. Over time, the milk room became a separate farm structure or part of the barn.
http://researchingfoodhistory.blogspot.com/2018/04/dutch-dairies.html?m=1
Possibly a cold room, used to store preserved foodstuffs (like a root cellar but not underground).
Gifted From A Student. Two Small Crystal Balls With A Hook That Has A Suction Cup On It. The Balls Each Have A Little Hole And A Little Divot. Any Ideas?
Pretty sure they're suncatchers. The suction cup hook is to hang them on a window pane
Furthermore: A “sun catcher” is a cut glass ornament that, when hung in a window, causes sunlight to hit it and throw rainbows around the room.
The Yellow Thing In The Firefighters Hand, It Looked Like He Held It Up To My Peep Hole
I cannot tell the model from the back of that fuzzy pic but it is a gas leak detection unit.
Gas can leak around the seals of a door. Holding the detector next to the door you may get a reading.
And if you want to start seeking out mysterious items that you’ll then have to identify online, you might want to start frequenting your local thrift stores, antique malls, estate sales, garage sales and more. Don’t be afraid to dig through every item until you find something that puzzles you, and if it’s sold at a low price, you can take it home with you! The hunt is so much fun, and you might even discover something that’s incredibly valuable.
Clear Glass Warped Window Pane (Decoration?), UK Pubs, Shops And Houses. Found On A Door Or Window With Other Normal Glass Window Panes
It's called bulls eye glass. An homage to the way glass sheet used to be made
Space Capsule Looking Thing Going Through My Town
This is one of the Orion “boilerplates” that’s used for training and testing. This one appears to be a low-fidelity mockup that would be used for testing splash-down forces and then to train capsule recovery procedures.
I saw the real capsule in Huntsville, Alabama. It's the same size as this one but has extensive heat scarring.
Found A Small Black (Plastic?) Bar Wired Directly Into My Outlet
Sure looks like a listening device to me. This is common to wire into a direct power source. Fun fact: watch batteries were invented to prolong surveillance devices and allow smaller listening devices. It also cut down on risk of sending someone in to constantly change out bugs. My favorite Place for fixed bugs is in the base of a lamp =P You should look into what we have nowadays. Credit cards with listening devices built in are pretty standard for informants(It's replaced having to carry a physical device to record/transmit which can be dangerous for informants.) Criminals nowadays will even demand to see your unlocked smart phone. Directional mics that can pick up vibrations on walls and windows and convert into sound are pretty cool. Cameras that send photons and receive the bounce patterns kinda like an infrared sensor to map out entire houses. Products ordered online and sent through Amazon, USPS, FedEx, UPS... can be intercepted and the device can be planted, item is repackaged with no signs of it being tampered with, then sent to individuals being surveyed.
Holy canoli that's scary. I just watched a breakfast TV doco on a woman who's so called friend and neighbor planted listening devices in her house for no other reason than he could. The only reason he was caught was because he hadn't wiped the device properly and had a conversation taped of his wife talking on it which linked it back to him.
You also might learn about dozens of new items after scrolling through r/Whatisthisthing. You may encounter random kitchen tools, antique medical devices that nobody would use today and bizarre home decor that looks like it should be in a sci-fi film. Enjoy learning about all of these curious objects, and remember to help enlighten others who might ask about them in the future!
Wooden Thing Sawed From A Single Piece Of Wood
Please do not use this book stand as a dish rack!!!
It is carved from a single piece of wood and made in uzbekistan. The word for them is either lauh or laukh, if you'd like to google it.
BTW, if you find plans or a video of one being carved, tag me. I'd love to see it done.
Small Metallic Ball Found In My High Schooler’s Jacket Pocket, Has A Waxy-Ish White Piece Stuck Inside
That is beyond doubt a broken brass headed percussion mallet for bells/glockenspiel. The waxy part is the fiberglass handle of what's called a 'two-step' mallet, where the handle is fiberglass with a rubber coating on the end.
Source: percussionist and band director.
Round White Item Found Diving In The Sea, The Material Is Hard, About 3 Cm In Radius, Fb Minden Written On It And A Number
FB Minden might stand for "Feuerbestattung" Minden - Minden crematory. I think you stumbled over a chamotte marker from a crematory that was used to track the identity of a body as it turned to ashes and was buried at sea.
Have you learned anything new by scrolling through this post, pandas? Keep upvoting the items that you find particularly surprising, and let us know in the comments below which ones you’d like to find yourself. Then, you can check out another Bored Panda list featuring even more curious items from “What is this thing?” right here!
Found In Very Remote North Qld, Australia. About 2cm Long, No Markings. Appears To Be Copper And Plastic With A Microchip
That’s a glass RFID tag that’s been broken out of its glass capsule. I used to work for a company that sold these. It was either dropped by someone who was trying to insert it in an animal for tracking, or it was in an animal that was eaten.
Before I saw the whole picture, I was going to say, “It’s a boot!” 🤣
Found In A Shipwreck, Does Anyone Know What This Is? Small Yellowish Amber Vial With Clear Liquid Inside! In A Leather Corded Pouch. Vial Is About 1 Inch Long
Soviet perfume “Жасмин 76”.
Concrete Tower Surrounded By A Cage South Of Washington, Ut
It reminds me of the drainage thingies (I’ve blanked on the word) that you see in man made bodies of water that allows them to drain.
The various holes allow water to drain out at a variable rate depending on the height of the water.
I wonder if there is a history of severe flooding in this location that may need a way to drain faster than nature would allow.
Edit looks like that’s it. See link below. First image in the “photos” section
https://damfailures.org/lessons-learned/all-dams-need-an-operable-reservoir-drain-system/
Maybe this was once a reservoir that is now dry and the water supply you describe is the replacement?
Edit again; looks like this type is called a spillway riser and is for smaller bodies rather than the huge reservoirs you sometimes see.
Edit one final time: fam outlet towers seems to get results too.
Also, why did I do that to myself? I have a fear of powerful running water (waterfalls, spillways etc) and yet i image searched a number of terms to get accurate info. Now I feel very unwell indeed.
Edit again because why not: found the proper nem, it’s a draw off tower. Yes, I am still googling, yes I am still freaking myself out.
What Is This Round Device On A Stand In Front Of Olympic Trap Shooters?
That's the microphone that picks up the shooter saying "pull" to release the clay pidgeon. It makes it more consistent for the shooters to have the automatic system release the clay than it is for a human to listen and respond hitting the button to send it flying. Just makes the sport more fair, and eliminates the possibility for that human error that definitely exists when not using this system. Source: Was top of my trap shooting team and practiced with both.
Small (4-5cm) Rusted Metallic Piece. Found In A River In Central France
It's a plaque for the head tube of a bicycle frame from the Ajax cycle brand. That's why it's slightly convex.
The cycles with this logo were made in the town of Albert in the Somme region between 1906-1913, just before WW I broke out; 2 years later both factory and town were practically levelled by German artillery fire, and nearly a million men were k*lled at the Battle of the Somme there a year after
The Battle lasted from July 1, 1916 to November 18, 1916. Hard to fathom the number of casualties.
8 Inch Round 15lb Metal Ball Found 12 Inches Under The Sand In Yaupon Beach, Oak Island, Nc
A 6" Civil War era cannon ball.
Found In My Garden, Soft Chalk Like Pink Pellets. I Have 2 Dogs And A Baby, Very Light And Has No Smell To It
It is rodent poison.
Why would this be in your garden if you have babies and pets and have no idea who put it there? That is concerning!
Block On Hinge In The Floor Of Old Home. Sits Below Floor. Inside There’s Rollers. There’s Another Opposite A Wall From It
It’s a hands free door opener.
Found Behind Hotel Vent. Large Silver Box Emitting Bright, Blue Light Wrapped In Mesh
Air purifier. UV light to k*ll germs like Covid that could travel through the air system
Two Men Carrying Shoulder Mounted Devices. Each Person Has The Device Strapped Around Their Waist. They Appear To Be Some Sort Of Scanning Or Detection Equipment. What Are They?
I think they're iWalkers/AdWalkers from this company (https://gomodigital.co.uk/iwalker), which does operate in Wales.
Even the black clothing seems to be part of their standard look.
Rubber Looking Cones Attached To Front Bumper Of Car, Held On Individually By A Chain And Some Type Of Rubber Hose
Natural gas sniffers.
I doubted this one, and I was wrong. It is in fact a natural gas sniffer. https://www.lascrucesbulletin.com/stories/the-sniffer-truck-has-a-nose-for-gas-leaks,1962
Found At The Thriftstore. Made Out Of Hardwood. Solid Iron Chain Link. Brass Plates. Hollow Inside
Apparatus for storing caught fish. Designed to stay put in a flowing stream.
-edit doesn't look like a trout creel but the form indicates a similar function.
It's called a "live well"; designed to sit in the stream and the water will flow through it and keep your fish alive until you're done for the day.
What's This Tower, That Stands On A Bridge Over Stream And Dumps White Powder In It? Found In A Swedish Moor
It could be lime, where I go in Sweden the lakes and rivers are very acidic, and the local gov dumps lime in the lakes to raise the pH level.
https://www.laponiapictures.com/Nature/Lime+treatment+tower/@toj-03395
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-12-06-mn-26871-story.html
That... seems to be some very specific thing, because if it was in a moor (and that means the same as the English word bog), they're SUPPOSED to be acidic. The bog-mosses sour their environment because they can survive when other plants cannot. bogs are very specified biotopes and by lowering the acidity, you basically destroy what makes a bog a bog. It also releases TONS of CO2, which normally is stored in bogs because the mosses don't decompose under the acidic water. Idk what they were doing in that place, though. Could be they just wanted to combat unnatural acidity (not a real bog, then) that has come from acid rain or other sources and makes it hard for trees to grow. *shrug*
Found This Large Concrete Structure With Two Small Wooden Doors While Kayaking Through Rural Florida. The Sign Says “Confined Space Do Not Enter”
I believe this is a river height gauge. If you’re in the States, you may be able to find its readings via the USGS.
The "confined space, do not enter" boilerplate means technicians entering the space need to abide by OSHA confined space rules for atmosphere quality.
Thousand Of "Pringle Shaped" Plastic Discs Washed Up On The Italian Shore Near Rovigo. They're Made Of Flexible Hard Plastic And Are Continuing To Pile Up Since The Beginning Of January
This is it. Dead ringer. They are carriers for biofilm-based bioreactor, aka weird shaped bits for gunk to grow on.
https://www.anoxkaldnes.com/sites/g/files/dvc4056/files/document/2020/09/AnoxKaldnes_Z-MBBR_Folder.pdf
Small Brass Threaded Capsule Found In 14 Year Old’s Laundry
It looks like a wish capsule. I have a few of these.
In an age where curiosity is key to discovery, unconventional approaches to innovative solutions can have far-reaching impacts. Just like browsing through mysterious curiosities on Reddit, embracing novelty can yield unexpected insights. For example, innovations in design provide opportunities to discover new habitats for insects.
Providing sanctuary for insects not only benefits biodiversity but also sparks a reconnection with nature through unique landscapes.
What Is This Thing? I Bought This In A German Flea Market. It’s Quite Heavy For Its Size And Once The Lid Is Screwed On You Can’t Fit Anything In It Because Of The Black Rod On The Lid
Hey OP, radiation safety officer here, this REALLY looks like a lead PIG used to shield a radiation source housed inside the black rod part. PIGs usually come with higher activity sources although they are occasionally with check sources. I highly recommend going down to your city’s fire department and seeing if they can scan this for you (smaller departments may not be able to do this but larger departments absolutely would have a hazmat unit that would have equipment that could) just to confirm the presence of radiation or not. If it is radioactive it might not be legal for you to own depending on the radioisotope, activity, and laws/regulations in Germany/EU.
What Is This Bag Of White, Heart-Shaped Things?
I think you put essential oils on them and they scent drawers, cupboards, etc.
Made of gypsum, yes you douse them in essential or aromatic oils and hang them/put them where you want
Small Glass Vial Filled With Bbs And Flat Green Circular Things. Given To A Drug Addicted Person By Somebody In A Trap House. She Was Told It Was Explosive
Looks like some tweaker took apart a shotgun shell. That's gunpowder and shot in there.
A Couple Weeks Ago This Small, Round, Metal Object Appeared, Embedded Within My Front Porch
It is a bullet. You can see the rifling marks along the sides.
Full metal jacket - lead core with a copper alloy jacket.
Pipes Running From Under Hotel Way Out Into The Ocean In The Cayman Islands
Also from Cayman, and lived in that exact building for a year. Was always curious about those, but I know that it's not the telecommunications. Firstly the only submarine cable to the island (the Cayman-Jamaica Fiber System) lands at half-moon bay which is not even close, and on top of that the Marriott right beside this building also has 2, and I know other buildings down the beach have others.
This is deep water source cooling, and many buildings near the beach use it for cooling, as well as the new buildings in Camana Bay. I know that building has it, and I also learned about its importance for the island in school.
What Is This Red Antique T Shaped Leather Stool Thing? Handle On Top And In The Middle Of A Formal Lounge. In A Private Members’ Club In London, England
Ah ha! I think you've nailed it!
https://www.londonfine.co.uk/products/antique-gentlemans-gout-stool-english-leather-occasional-foot-rest-georgian
It's tilted on its side, as a padded footrest. "Finished with an inset butler's grasp, for moving across a room".
Gout stools were considered a status symbol due to gout's association with wealth and overindulgence in rich foods and alcohol. They were part of a broader cultural understanding of gout as "the disease of kings" or "rich man's disease". In addition to providing physical relief, gout stools feature prominently in period art and literature, often used to symbolize excess and the consequences of an overly luxurious lifestyle.
https://drawing-blood.org/pre-modern-medicine/gout-the-disease-of-kings/
Found This In A House I Moved Into, Block In The Lower Half Is Some Type Of Metal. Clamshell Case Flocked In Red
Hand warmer. That is a stick of coal in the middle and then put it in the bed of asbestos.
What Are These Red Screws That Are Connected By The Wiggly String?
It's to tell if the nuts have turned (loosened). In a pre-trip inspection the operator identifies if any of the pointers are not pointing at their partner. These particular indicators have two in one and were moulded with a zigzag portion to allow The second one to be tightened after the first one is tightened.
I loved it when these became the norm for schoolbusses when I was a driver. It made the pretrip inspection faster, as checking the tire lugnuts is part of the inspection. Now all the greater Seattle area busses have them
Round, Black Electronic Device On The Wall In My Spanish Airbnb. The Ball In The Centre Moves Around A Bit
It's a temperature sensor for the air conditioning.
These Concrete Things On The Sidewalks Attached To A Small Wall. This Is In Toronto
This is a Zack Dowdy special!
Guerrilla Skatespots. If you can make a concrete form, you can quickly and easily manufacture the majority of a concrete transition. Then you can spend a much shorter amount of time just grouting the lips.
The hardest part is getting all the pieces into and out of a Chevy Astro van and set in place!
The irony of building DIY skate spots is that you can have a simple spot for years. A slab or ledges or something, but the second you start "improving" the spot, the city bulldozes it and puts in a parking garage!
Rectangle Block Looks Like Concrete At The Back Of My New Dishwasher, Wrapped In Plastic
Possibly a weight to keep the machine from tipping forward when the door is opened.
Yeah, it is exactly what it looks like. The shiny finish on the back of the dishwasher suggests it is a freestanding model. Installed dishwashers are usually 'naked' on the back. Installed units are held in place by the counter and usually also screws - so no need for a counterweight. My HE front loading washing machine has concrete in it. Not for tipping in that case but to give it mass so it doesn't vibrate as much during spin cycles.
A Box Of Heavy Metal Chunks. It Was At The Bottom Of A Deceased Hoarders Basement
It looks like someone was melting scrap lead or tin in a large spoon, likely cast iron, and letting it cool in the spoon. May have been making bullets or fishing sinkers. My father did this, but he poured the lead into a hockey puck shape.
My father was an electrician/plumber, and he had lead weights for something. He poured the liquid lead into maple sugar molds, so it was pretty, and easy to carry.
Large Steel Grates On The Back Of An O'reilly's Auto Parts
Plant trellis/lattice for vines or other creeping plants to grow up on.
Obnoxious Device That Emits A High Frequency Sound When Anything Draws Near
It is an ultrasonic animal repeller. Amazon link.
Small Plastic Object With Microchip Inside, Labeled "Microcheck" By Az Industries
I have (or had, haven't seen it in years) one of these. It is a microwave oven leakage tester. You hold it around the edges of the door of the microwave, and the little neon bulb inside glows orange if it gets any microwave radiation. You can test it by putting it in the oven and turning the oven on; it should glow. I wouldn't do that for too long. I am not sure how much radiation can actually leak, but these were popular 30+ years ago when microwave ovens were less common.
I probably got mine in a Christmas stocking around 1990 or so
You could probably make your own if you wanted to. Not really needed, but if you wanted a simple go/no go test like that you could just buy a small neon bulb. A science youtube channel I watch was once doing experiments with an unshielded microwave magnetron as the source. He was showing how if you got the neon bulbs (and also fluorescent light tubes) in the path of the radiation they would glow.
Black Electric Device With Insertable Glass Tubes That Glow With UV Light
Its a violet ray device, quackary
Found On My Deck, Blue Light Gets More Intense When Button Is All The Way Pushed Down But It Never Turns Off
Lightsaber chopsticks with the "blade" missing. Probably stuck on from water damage from being outside
Yellow Liquid Oozing Out Of Tiny Holes On The Side Of The Building. Seems To Have Solidified To A Dried Sugar-Like Texture
Concrete injection, usually polyurethane. Used for structural repair.
What Is This White Plastic Box With A Squishy Translucent Plug That My Landlord Installed In My Unit While I Was Out Of Town?
If this is an exterior door, it’s possibly a sensor connected to your HVAC system used to disable heating and cooling when the door is open. Double that likelihood if heating and cooling is included in your rent.
I'd be asking my landlord why they are installing strange devices in my place while I was out of town
Found In An Attic. It's Two Old Beer Bottles, Sealed With A Copper Tube Running Between Them. The Liquid Us Thicker Than Water. There Is A Wire At The Top Of The Copper Tube
The wire gives it away. Not a battery, IT'S A CAPACITOR. But a large part is missing. The two bottles are supposed to sit in a tub filled with salt-water, with many more bottle-pairs. I've made exactly these. Make three of them (a 6-pack,) all in the same circular metal wash-tub, with the copper tubes touching together.
Strange Short “House” In Ut - Has Intrigued Me For Years
A basement house! I lived in on on 110th south in Sandy when I was little. I have no idea why they didn't bother to add a second floor... It would flood when it rained, and my brother and I would pretend to be pirates!
My mom lived in the area when she was little. They are literally called basement houses aka “Hope Houses”, because of the hope that someday you will have the money expanded it. It was an inexpensive home in to buy around 1920-1950. There are still many only basement homes around especially in the smaller towns in Utah.
Small Glass Bottles Cemented To Foundation About Every 10 Feet
A bottle with a hole in the cap is most likely ant k*ller.
You can't even say killer if you're talking about ants. The level of censorship here is insane.
Bulbous Like A Lightbulb, End Of Cord Is Like A 1/4 Audio Jack, Weird Spout-Thing In Side Of Bulb. Wha?
It looks like it's a part of this made up b.s. device.
Molecular Enhancer
“It is a resonant energy device that raises the energy potential at the cellular level, basically a theoretical battery charger for the body.”
Broken Metal Spoon, With Rat/Mouse Drinking From It
Looks like it's sold as a wealth amulet
https://i.imgur.com/bjRURHN.jpeg
Punctured My Tire While Driving On A Residential Road. Feels Slightly Heavy For It's Size. About Three Inches Long
Stupid spiky lugnut tip, like this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/252502607485
EDIT to add: For everyone saying it's not a lugnut or that it is threaded wrong. Look at the link. I'm not claiming it to be a lugnut. It's a tip that threads into the lugnut. The produce in question has 2 parts -- 1) a steel lugnut, and 2) the stupid spike. The stupid spike threads into, not onto, the actual lugnut.
Also, for all of the people claiming it's a plumb bob - find one anodized aluminum plumb bob that looks like this. I tried. It was my first suspicion. Not seeing any. Also, you typically want some heft for your bob so that it isn't easily blown around. Aluminum is not a great choice for that.
EDIT2: Several people have found what looks to be a much better match than the ebay link above:
https://www.pilotautomotive.com/pilot_product/wheelcover.php?part=LN-S55R
Found This In A Rural Forested Area. Its Lightweight, Probably Aluminum, And The Tip Is Sharp
Apparently it's a titanium tooth pick.
Giant Bags Being Pumped Full Of Water With Water Slowly Trickling Out
A Small Fabric Square Inside A Plastic Bag That Came With My Pillow Or Pillowcases
It's not for burning, it is for testing impact of garment care on the cloth (color fastness, shrinking, etc.).
Metal/Steel Rod That Came Through Our Ceiling, 1.5 In Thick, Tapered End
a digging bar
More concerning.... Why did a digging bar crash through the ceiling and who is digging up there?
White Circles About 2cm In Diameter Lining The Edge Of My Neighbor’s Lawn
Mothballs.
Using them this way for other insects and pests isn't effective, is dangerous for pets and children, is probably bad for the soil and environment, and may even be illegal depending on where you are
This White Fuzz Appeared In Between My Two Window Panes Seemingly Overnight. Almost Looks Like Cotton
Looks like blown insulation leaking down possibly from pest activity in the wall above the window.
Small Blue Square With Spikes On Both Sides, Fell From The Sky And Landed On The Porch In Front Of Us
It is the swatter from the Baxter Stockman from the Legens of Akedo mini battling warriors. Which would explain why it broke off. Perhaps gifted from a crow or the sky gods
just put a brown hat on it and its perry the swatter from baxter stockman
What Is This Circular Lens Looking Section In Window Pane Of Paris Cdg Airport?
Plane spotting is the only logical explanation to me. I believe I already saw something similar but I can't seem to remember where. The circular holes are just perfect for digital cameras lenses and telephoto zooms.
Do most people carry bananas around with them? Should I start doing that?
Yellow Maybe Plastic Balls In A White Plaster-Like Material Found In A Middle Of Nowhere At Norwegian Fjord
This was bouyacy, used in oil and gas. Typical used for rovs.
Found In A Box Of Glassware Labeled "Crystal" About 3-4 Inches Long
It looks like part of a pump and trough set.
Lots Of Tiny Metal Balls Under Kitchen Sink
Do you have a faucet that can be pulled out? There’s a weight attached to the hose to retract it. The metal beads could come from that weight. If you pull too hard on the hose, it might have broken or just worn out due to age.
Witt Left By Last Tenant. It's A Plastic Bag Shaped As A Mitten That Smells Like Smoke As Burning Wood, Not Tobacco
Its to wear over a foot or hand to protect medical bandages or casts while bathing.
Two Metal Bowls That Appear To Attach To Poles
It's a big oyster shell. My guess is it's meant to have iced oysters served from it and the little crater/volcano thing there holds a dish of cocktail sauce or whatever the hell people garnish their filthy oysters with.
The clamps are probably for attaching it to some custom base, as its shape looks like it makes it a little wobbly.
Wrist Patch Used By A Poker Player In The Wsop Main Event
Carpal tunnel patch
Now these would have come in handy when I was preggo with a sudden case of CTS... I used to sleep with gloves on like a peasant bc I didn't know better
What Is This Small Black Thing With A Glowing Red Light And The Letters Hds On It? It Was Found On The Floor Of My Local Museum
It is upside down and "hds" actually says spy. My first answer was removed because I linked to the "Spy X Tracker Tag toy" on Amazon.
What Are These Little Plastic Sleeves That Fold Out Of The Billfold In My Wallet?
key holders
What Is This Heavy Magnetic Puck I Got As A Work Gift?
For paperclips
5ft Diameter Pvc Contraption Found At The Bottom Of A Small Lake In Northern Michigan
It's an artificial fish habitat/structure.
Heavy Metal Object With Unknown Purpose. Banana For Scale
The strongest theory so far is that the numbered segments were welded together at the wrong angles, making these unusable for their intended purpose, whatever that may be. The mistake was made en mass, but the company sent them out to be sold anyway to cut their losses.
I think, if you shifted the angle of the 2-3 weld so that 2 lines up the rest of the corkscrew, this would make a semi-serviceable countertop wine holder where the top of the bottle nests neatly into the curve of 2. Nothing else really makes sense.
Duh. It's a DECORATIVE BANANA HOLDER! What else do you do when there's only one banana left? Lay it on it's side?? Heathens.
Renting A House And There’s This Reverse Outlet Thing?
You plug an extension cord into it. It powers an outlet somewhere nearby on the wall behind where you would mount a TV on the wall. Also lets you run A/V cables through the wall to behind the TV to hide them.
Syrup Looking Drip. What Is This Syrup Looking Drip On The Side Of My House?
Based on the siding patch I'm guessing someone drilled a hole and put some ant bait into the wall.
I might be wrong about the ant bait part but someone definitely drilled a hole in the side to put something in there.
Plastic Test Tube With Seemingly Plastic White Beads Within. Found In The Give-Away Bin In My University’s Engineering Building
A bottle blank before it's molded, filled with PET pellets showing you the material used to make it
It's the Free d***s that DARE warned us about. That's where they were all hiding- the university giveaway bin.
Fake Marker? Got These For Christmas And They Have No Ink In The Tip And A Hole In The Side…
Inkless magical pencil with, as you guessed, an eraser.
Amazon Link
Fountain pens. Just need ink cartridges. I own two. Hole is to see the level of ink
Electrical Outlet-Looking Thing With Metal Screws Sticking Out. On First Floor Of A Townhouse, Near The Ground. How Painful Will My Death Be If I Start Unscrewing These?
TV antenna outlet
Old-timey outlet to attach your non-flat-screen tv to, wired from the back of the TV to this thing, which is attached to a rooftop antenna of wire. Used to be every single house and apt bldg had rooftop antennae.
"This Kitchen Drawer/Cabinet Is Too Narrow To Hold Pot Lids, And Using It To Store Spices Or Cans Would Be A Huge Waste Of Space. There’s Enough Space To Store Large Utensils Standing Up But They Would Just Fall Everywhere With The Way The Dividers Are Made"
Answer: It is probably a VHS storage cabinet for a kitchen TV, which was popular in the 90s.
What Is This Small Plastic Cube Box In The Door Of My Fridge Used For?
Looks like it's the Beko CDA653FS-1. They are labelled as "mini commodity bins".
"What Is This Component I Ripped Out Of An Old Keyboard? It’s Filled With A Thick Substance And Smells Strongly Chemical. There Is A Small Black Foam Plate On The Back And The Holes Were Not There Before I Accidentally Made Them"
Answer: A safe method to "deactivate" the danger of an old lithium battery, especially one that is punctured, is to place it in a disposable plastic bowl with salt water, outside. There will be a reaction but the water will prevent fire and eventually the battery becomes totally inert and is safe to bring to an appropriate recycling center.
"Winglet Like Debris, 50 X 130 Cm, Aluminum, Many Rivets, Red Marking On Both Sites, Color Grey, Very Light, Isolation Inside, Ball Gearing At The Top. Strongly Damaged. Found At Beach, East See South Sweden"
Answer: It seems to be missile wing
Witt On The Ceiling Of A Target. Plastic, Mostly White, And About The Size Of A Breadbox
This is an Enterprise Asset Visibility (EAI) offering that provides greater visibility into retail operations and delivers business insights.
This Plastic Bag With The Corners Cut Off Is One Of Many That My Neighbor Keeps Finding In And About His Yard. No One Can Figure Out What The Heck It's For/From
It's for dimebags.
It's a regular sandwich bag, I'm willing to bet the neighbor's son is a dealer. You can put small amounts of d***s (flower, powder, etc.) in one of the corners of the bag, then cut or tie the bag around it and make smaller packets, instead of using the whole bag for a small amount.
Small Very Light Shiny Square Found On Floor Of Employee Dressing Room. Seems Plastic
Lifetune Zone
For clarification; it's a quackery device that will supposedly protect you from the dangers of EMFs and other wireless signals. They don't actually do anything other than separate gullible people from their money.
Gauze Pads I Was Given In The Dominican Republic Have These Copper Coil Things Sown Into Each One
Looks like an rfid transponder.
FFS BP! If you had just bothered to steal one more comment below the one you posted, we would have a logical explanation. Here is the comment: "Ok, that helps me find some more information! Turns out they're surgical gauze pads, and the rfid prevents them from being left inside someone's body during surgery." https://www.medline.com/product/Situate-RF/XRay-Detectable-Premium-Cotton-Surgical-Gauze/Z05-PF20010
What Is This Chimney Looking Thing On This Police Interceptor Suv?
"It has already been selected by several military forces and equips several NBC reconnaissance vehicles, as it is unsensitive to diesel vapors and smokes."
That single chimney may feed multiple sensors.
Why are some of these “explanations” so hard to understand and don’t provide any insight at all?
That was about 65 percent more disturbing/thought provoking than I was hoping. The VHS drawer and Chinese stamping set and magic pens were cool. The spy devices and explosives/ammo ones were a bit overwhelming. I should have REALLY interesting nightmare dreams tonight
That was about 65 percent more disturbing/thought provoking than I was hoping. The VHS drawer and Chinese stamping set and magic pens were cool. The spy devices and explosives/ammo ones were a bit overwhelming. I should have REALLY interesting nightmare dreams tonight
