The world is full of random objects whose purpose might not be immediately apparent.
Fortunately, the collective knowledge of the internet can help us figure out what these strange things actually are.
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“An excessive amount of (chimneys, various vents?) on a house in Castile de Leon, Spain.”
These things are designed to provide rudimentary air conditioning in hot areas. They cool the air in as it enters the house.
“The part above the handle rotates.”
This is an old school kite spindle, probably a replica of one from the 19th century. It helps kite flyers keep their twine from getting tangled.
“What is this thin metal tool I found in the laundry?”
Here’s something that you see in video games more than you do in reality: a simple lock pick, designed for…picking locks.
“In a UK primary school. I remember seeing these as a kid but can’t remember what they’re for.”
These can be aligned next to one another and the different notches provide a place to put poles of different heights to jump over.
“Found outside a Medical Arts office building in Florida. I have seen pipes like this outside of buildings before but none this big.”
This complicated assembly is an inline for a water main. Basically, the different components allow maintenance workers to make adjustments and test water purity.
“Found at antique store. Label said ‘key.'”
This is indeed a key, but a very specialized type. It’s designed to open water meters so meter readers can do their thing.
“These small ‘rooms’ that are raised up from the ground are all over the Spanish countryside.”
Locally, these things are known as ‘hórreos.’ They’re essentially grain stores, which are raised from the ground to keep them away from mice.
“Has faces carved on the four sides of the box and the top.”
This is likely a reproduction, rather than an original, of a trinket from the mesoamerican people from the Andes in South America.
“Small red container. The lid has a small spoon attached to the inside.”
Some of you might already know this one. It’s a snuff container. Snuff is fine-ground tobacco that people used to snort, which sounds super unpleasant.
“What is this hole/vent above our fireplace? When we pull the blue tape off, we can feel cool air coming in.”
This hole is intended for media cables to pass through, making it easier to set up a flatscreen above the fireplace.
“They’ve been showing up on the beach by the hundreds for the last month!”
A shipping container full of these things — components of a bio filter — likely fell off a ship, which explains why they keep washing ashore.
“I’ve had this around for a while, it’s very lightweight and wooden but very smooth.”
If it looks like a hairpin, it’s probably a hairpin. This hairpin is made of koa wood, meaning it’s from Hawaii.
“What is this boat off the coast of Long Island, NY with three tall smoke stacks?”
Those tall things are piles, not smoke stacks. When this vessel is in deep water, they lower down to the seafloor to provide stability and turn the ship into a platform.
“The cap on this tube of vitamin tablets tore open and there are tiny balls inside.”
Those tiny balls are actually silica-based dessicant. In layman’s terms, they help keep the tablets dry by inhibiting moisture.
“Please help me identify this badge!”
Any Ukrainians reading this might have already identified this as an emblem of Ukraine. It’s in the national colors and makes references to the country’s status as the ‘breadbasket of Europe.’
“What is this thing that looks like Superman’s pod?”
Here’s a fun one. It was found in Burbank, California and was used as a prop from the show Colony .
“Unknown glass object filled with unknown liquid, found in an early 1900s barn.”
This is what fire extinguishers looked like way back in the day. If you find one, be careful — they contain carbon tetrachloride, which can cause cancer.
“I work in a restaurant, we had a customer complaining that they found that in our chicken.”
This one is gross, but fairly simple: someone on the assembly line or at the farm broke a ring, and a fragment found its way into the chicken.
“Found in a parking lot in North Carolina (nowhere near the beach).”
This looks organic, but it isn’t. It’s basically a Halloween-type prop: squeeze the ball and fake worms will shoot out the top.
“Plastic lid screws onto rubber sack and contains… balls.”
It looks like this thing is designed to shoot the little metal balls — just put them in the rubber pouch and drag it.
