The story of finding a mystery object and being launched into a quest to learn its origins isn’t just a fantasy, it happens in real life too! Except the quest usually isn’t as grand — just posting it online and hoping someone knows what it is.
Still, it’s fun to learn, and gets the rest of us in on it too!
“Found slung over my son’s headstone.”
Someone did identify this as a rifle sling, but it had nothing to do with the uploader’s son. Another person said it was likely someone on the mowing crew, picking it up and placing it on the nearest headstone assuming it was left there and had just fallen off.
“These weird crystals growing on my highlighter?”
After the uploader gave a few more details, one person took a guess at what happened:
“Because you said it’s wax, it makes me think it went through varying changes in temperature in the past years and destabilized causing oil to separate and crystallize. Same thing happens in crayons.”
“Found while cleaning an abandoned house. Looks like a type of grenade?”
“A type of grenade” was sort of right! These are the fuses for M-75 grenades, specifically VBR M-75 practice grenades.
“It was my new-age mom’s in the 80’s.”
Originally created by a company called Esion, which is now known as ZYTO, this is the Interro biocommunication device! It was used for electroacupuncture , which is exactly what it sounds like.
“Jump Rope Spike? Two spring covered spikes connected with paracord.”
While this does look like a jump rope, it’s far from it. It’s a safety device often used by those who ice fish. Run it through your coat until the handles come out of the sleeves, and if you ever fall through the ice you can use the spikes to pull yourself out.
“The only words on the case are ‘sonic technology’.”
This is a Sonic Technologies ultrasonic rodent repeller. They sell multiple kinds of these for various different pests, but people in the comments swore by the fact that they didn’t actually work.
“My girlfriend lives in a basement apartment and in the closet under a false floor there’s this pipe in the ground. Smells terrible like sewage. Any idea what it is and how to fix it?”
Someone said it was clearly a broken drain, but specifically a clean-out with a broken cover. They urged the uploader to find a way to cap it immediately as sewer gasses are a noxious health hazard.
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This will make for a fun conversation with the landlord.
“[…] Found this crater/hole while randomly scrolling around google maps. Located in Mali, Africa. Any ideas?”
Funnily enough, this isn’t a crater at all, it’s actually the opposite! Viewing it at a flat angle like this can make it hard to tell, but it’s actually a mountain, likely an old weathered one, which would explain the strange patterning.
“Can anyone help me by identifying what these things are?”
This answer is sort of multi-layered. At face value, they’re vacuum tubes. The red liquid inside adds another angle.
For some time, there was a myth that “red mercury” was used in old TV components, which caused quite the scare amongst the public. Red mercury isn’t real though, it’s a total hoax, but it looks like someone filled these tubes with dyed water in order to trick someone into thinking there was red mercury inside!
“A friend of mine bought a refrigerator and this came on it. The handbook didn’t mention it. Is it an egg holder?”
Not an egg holder, no. It’s a divider for the drawer, the holes are there for airflow and the company just had fun with the design and color!
“Cups on lanyard found on Lake MI beach […].”
While they look like that “two cans and a string” phone system, they’re far from it. These are kayak plugs, they stop kayaks from flooding!
“What is this thing embedded into a new asphalt road?”
A rather simple answer, it’s just a survey marker, helps make sure the road is being built correctly!
“Tiny brass hammer, found on pavement when walking about, doesn’t come apart or seem to unscrew, no holes or sockets, ruler and penny for scale.”
Them saying brass hammer is right on the nose, that’s what it’s called! Small, light, and softer than most other hammers, this tool is most often used in jewelry making.
“Buddy bought a shop, the shop had a military uniform in the attic. Appears WWII era. What does this patch mean?”
This website has it listed as the 6th U.S. Army, shoulder sleeve insignia:
“The six pointed star is significant of the number ‘six’ and the red letter ‘A’ signifies ‘Army.’ The red and white colors are the colors of the design approved for distinguishing flags for the numbered Armies.”
“I discovered this at my parents apartment. […] It does open to reveal a void that is about the size of a small child.”
Much like the first item on this list here , this is likely an old icebox. Think a freezer before freezers were a thing.
“Data logger I found in the parking lot.”
As someone in the comments put it far more succinctly than I could, “ROI used to make RFID inventory tracking products, so it’s probably from one of those.”
“Can anyone identify what this is on aluminium foil for cooking?”
Posing no danger, this is just a visual effect caused by excessive heat in the manufacturing process. Totally safe, meaning you didn’t just lose out on a roll!
“Found next to a cliff in the UK, has chains in it. Any ideas what this thing is?”
Though my thought was an ancient phone booth, it’s not even remotely close. Called a railway hut , these held equipment and other odds and ends for those working on railway lines.
“What equipment is depicted in this photo I found in my attic, and what is it used for?”
After identifying a few of the specific pieces of equipment, someone identified this as some sort of broadcast studio booth, likely for a small TV station.
“Plastic pod with electric board inside. Supposedly fell out of the sky according to the CCTV, put the pieces together and it lit up.”
In a strangely specific answer, someone said it looked like the stomach piece for this toy . As to how it fell from the sky? Someone else guessed that a bird mistook it for an actual prey animal and picked it up.
