If there’s one thing human beings are good at, it’s creating…things. Many of these are immediately identifiable, but others are a little more difficult to pin down.
For those unidentified objects, the good people on the What is this Thing? subreddit have you covered. Let’s check out some of the weirder finds from the last few weeks.
“Black square thing on the door with white in the middle and what seems to be data chips on the top on the door.”
This vaguely high-tech mystery object is actually a mounting plate for a doorbell camera. If your neighbor across the hall puts one up, you’re being watched.
“What is this tool called?”
This hammer/hatchet/whatever has multiple uses. It’s basically an all-in-one tool for opening crates, with the ability to pry, chop, hammer and pull out nails.
“My dad found this earlier today with his metal detector and has no clue what it is.”
This ornate metal plate, a couple of inches long on each side, was once attached to similar plates to form a bracelet or belt. On all four corners, you can see where the links would attach.
“Found underground in Edmonton, Alberta.”
This is basically a new age healing ‘crystal’, composed of polyester resin and a bunch of random metal inside. Believers say that the combination of organic materials with inert materials will, like, heal you of stuff.
“Found in a Coinstar return slot.”
This gun-themed key-looking thing is, in fact, a key. It isn’t a standard house or car key, but a small key used to unlock a steering wheel lock.
“Found in an unfinished basement of an old home.”
This looks like it was was part of a coin lighter , a nifty little gizmo. Unfortunately, it’s clearly missing quite a few pieces.
“Hole in the bathroom wall on the door side?”
This was found in an older house, which helps explain its original purpose: a chimney for a wood stove or some other kind of heater.
“Small round ‘shelf’ in old mailbox.”
At one time, it was common to leave a few cents for postage with your outgoing mail, so the letter carrier could pay for a stamp and send the letter on its way. The little shelf is for the money.
“Thing with wheels I found in the woods.”
If you’re really, really into cars and know this one, pat yourself on the back. It’s the chassis, and nothing more, of an original Volkswagen Beetle.
“Found buried in backyard in Austin. Very smooth glass.”
It looks like a meteorite, but the truth is far more boring: it’s a lump of epoxy resin, probably used in construction, and thrown out.
“Strange ceramic jar. What is this?”
This weird stoneware was once a bed warmer. On cold nights, it could be filled with hot water and stashed under the sheets for extra warmth that would last hours.
“Local music shop is offering free strings to anyone who can tell them what this is. Not even the owner knows what it is.”
This weird tool is used to spread out bundles of rope or wire. The horizontal bar in the handle helps control the tension, while the forks separate the individual strands.
“I saw these towers in California last weekend in California on I-15, headed West, a few miles from the CA-NV state line.”
This is a standard generating plant. The mist-looking spray on the ground is actually sunlight being reflected from mirrors on the ground to the towers. The heat from the reflection turns water at the top of the towers into steam, which then drives a turbine to create power.
“Found while turning garden this spring in the Appalachian foothills of East Tennessee.”
This is what it appears to be: a crude knife. The handle looks like it’s made of a deer antler, while the blade is made of flint. It was probably made as part of a class project.
“It was my new age mom’s in the ’80s.”
Specifically, this is an Interro biocommunication device. Since no one knows what that is, I’ll elaborate: it measures stuff like skin conductivity for new age healer types. No, it’s not medically credible.
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“What is the purpose of the ‘chip’ in the one prong of this fork?”
The prong with the ‘chip’ is wider, as you can see, for the purpose of cutting stuff. Since a wide prong isn’t as stabby as the smaller ones, they gave it a pointy tip.
“What is this piece of playground equipment for?”
This playground La-Z-Boy is probably designed for kids with mobility issues. It might not be as thrilling as a slide or swings, but it makes the playground more accessible for all.
“A friend of mine bought a refrigerator and this came on it.”
This is designed to fit in the bottom drawer of the fridge, creating a barrier between different types of fruits and veggies while still allowing air to circulate.
“Scary looking thing, but what is it? A friend found this, including the note, in a forest in Germany.”
This ominous lump is old, dried-out pine sap. It can be used as fire starter, but only outside. The fumes can be toxic in an unventilated environment.
“Small plastic cylinder on side of gas pump card reader.”
We’ve all heard of card skimmers that can steal your data. This thing is designed to prevent a skimmer from being attached to the card mechanism.
