Curiosity may have killed the cat — or, at least, used up one of its lives — but in the internet age, there’s no need to risk life or limb just to figure out what something is.
Just snap a pic, make note of any specific details, and post the thing on Reddit . Someone always knows what it is.
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1. These tags were found all over telephone poles in northern Seattle and Reddit user -lilnut- decided to ask about them.
They’re defective pole tags, a standardized way to alert technicians to potential safety hazards on utility poles. This specific symbol means “Do Not Climb.” The pole has been deemed unsafe and is due to be replaced.
2. EPYCi9 asked, “My Grand Father worked at JPL, and while he was working there (Early 60s to mid 90s) he was given this gold pin to celebrate the success of something. Can you guys tell me what’s on the pin?”
It’s a Surveyor 1 probe, which was sent to the moon in prep for the Apollo missions.
3. These tiny little nests were found on a car antenna.
They’re the work of potter wasps, so called because of how their tiny nests look like little clay pots. Each pot is made by a female wasp, who lays a single egg inside before stocking the rest of the space with food for the larva when it hatches.
4. When your company receives a big box of plastic…things, the internet is here to help.
There’s always someone around from the industry that actually uses the things. It’s a plastic buckle, meant to help secure straps around large packages for shipment.
5. If I saw this when skiing, I’d be really curious as well.
Considering that it’s an explosive charge meant to purposely cause avalanches, I feel like this sign isn’t worded strongly enough.
6. This ax has unusual moving pieces on the opposite side of the head.
It’s a splitting maul. When smashed hard into a log, the moving pieces help split the wood.
7. Sometimes you put something away for later use, and then completely forget what the doohickey was ever used for.
This is a butterfly clip, used to secure nets, brushes, etc. to the long poles used in pool cleaning.
8. This was spotted in the waters of the Netherlands during a flyover.
It’s the Marker Wadden , a project to restore the biodiversity of Lake Markermeer by creating islands, marshes, and mud flats using the natural sediment of the lake itself.
9. “Large tooth (?) found near a cave in South West France.” —LegoOfMe
It’s not a tooth, but a fossilized cast of the inside of a rudist shell. Rudists were organisms from the late-Jurassic period that spent most of that time and the following Cretaceous period building reefs.
10. A Reddit user bit into this fruit while thinking it was an apple. It was not.
It’s actually an unripe persimmon, which will turn orange when it’s ready to eat.
11. “I found this in a Goodwill it has small chains hanging from the end.” —Downfeather6
It’s a basting “brush” for barbecuing. It seems silly, but the links in the chain hold sauce as well or better than most traditional brushes. The metal won’t scorch over high heat and it’s way easier to clean.
12. Sometimes you can find really cool vintage craft tools, but have no idea what they’re for.
This is a punch needle, used for making rugs. It’s similar to the hooks in the kits you can find in arts and crafts stores to make decorative rugs.
13. I’d be confused by these weird hover-seat-looking things, too.
They’re not nearly so cool. Rather, they are riding trowels, which are used for finishing concrete floors quickly and getting a smooth surface every time.
14. Ever see an unusual vehicle on the highway and wonder what it is? Me too.
This is a Custom ’60s Spaceliner . It was one of the many “bubbletop” vehicles made during a craze for space-age style.
15. “My sister found this odd thing in the basement of the house she bought. Five years later, we still have no idea what it is. The suspense is killing us!” —ArmaggedonRag
It’s a rack used to dry glass bottles. The mouths go over the hooks, allowing the bottles to drip dry.
16. “Strange fibers coming out of an egg, with a large black head,” described 2minuteswithTom.
While the description makes it sound like an alien egg thing, it’s actually a smooshed golfball. The outer shell has cracked, releasing the hard black core and rubber band insulation.
17. I’ve always wondered about these man-made mini waterfalls too.
They’re called weirs and are created to help control the water’s flow. There are many reasons to use them, such as measuring the river’s speed, making the river safer for boats, powering mills, etc.
18. A high school gym that has a space age-y device on the ceiling.
It’s the gym’s sound system, specifically, a model called a Soundsphere . The outer orbs send the sound out around the room, with the big center part being the sub-woofer.
19. Reddit user Coffin_Nail rightly wondered about this button found in a bathroom stall.
I’m not sure if I could muster the willpower not to press it and find out what it does. Thankfully, it’s not embarrassing. The button plays the sound of running water to cover up any other embarrassing noises you may be making.
20. This strange capsule was found on a beach in Hawaii.
It’s a tiny glow stick used by fishermen. There are a bunch of different uses for them, from allowing you to see your rod when fishing at night to attracting certain species of fish to your bait.
21. “What is this thing in my car beside the radio/temperature controls?” —Atomickix
It’s a magnetic mount for a cell phone or a portable GPS system. A metal ball would be attached to the device, which holds it to the magnet in the mount.
22. This bathroom has a bright red cord and handles hanging from the ceiling.
It’s an emergency pull cord and shouldn’t be tangled up like that. In accessible washrooms, it’s important for the cord to reach the ground. That way, if someone falls, they can still alert someone for help.
23. These kind of look like a species of mushroom, but they’re actually a plant.
They’re often called ghost plants because of their white color. They contain no chlorophyll, which is what makes plants green. Instead, they’re parasitic, living off the nutrients of other plants.
24. I’d probably question a black, Koosh ball thing growing on my house too…
Knowing that it’s a kind of slime mold called Stemonitis doesn’t make me feel any better about it. Since it typically grows on rotting wood, there’s likely a structural problem that needs solving.
