The world is full of wondrous things, and we are led to believe that every piece of it serves a purpose. Even the most obscure objects and findings that don’t seem to fit any category. Or do they?
Luckily, for these curious instances, there’s a bunch of Sherlock Holmes sitting right behind their computer screens ready to tackle any mysterious stuff people have stumbled upon. Yes, we’re talking Reddit’s beloved corner called “What Is This Thing” that has a solid 1.9 million followers and has been steadily growing since its creation in 2010.
#1 Found This On The Side Of The Road In My Neighborhood. Thought It Was A Brain, Then Dissected It And Now I Have No Idea. Lots Of Small Lobes, Fuzzy Inside, Rubbery?
Answer: You my friend, have just dissected dog poop. Someone’s dog has eaten paper towels in abundance. They can’t digest it and it comes out like this
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305points
#2 This Is A On Gate Blocking Road Access To Some Cell Towers. Why So Many Locks, And How Would Someone Even Open It?
Answer: You can open the gate by unlocking only one padlock. The way it's designed means that multiple people can use the gate, and if one person loses their keys, only their padlock needs replaced. As opposed to one padlock with many keys, you'd need to give tons of people the new key.
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278points
#3 Strange Weapon I Found In A German News Clip About The Turkish Coup
Answer: Drone killer. It sends a strong and very directional radio frequency signal to jam the receíver on the drone to cause it to crash.
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244points
Previously, Bored Panda spoke with one of the subreddit’s moderators, who explained why people, in their opinion, become amateur detectives online and are willing to help confused people identify and solve these weird object puzzles.
“Many [people] have unique and obscure knowledge and they like to use it. Get enough of them together and they cover most things,” the moderator told Bored Panda. Other than that, it may have to do with showing off their great research skills, and the thrill of solving the purpose of objects that look completely out of this world.
#4 Floating Home Found Tied To A Fence On The Beach In Southern California
Answer: It's floating duck house or similar structure for local waterfowl. They give ducks a place to sleep safe from predators or to escape water predators (usually snapping turtles and such).
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237points
#5 This Structure I Found While Walking In The Woods, The Metal Bit Is About 2 Feet Wide And Looks Like It Could Uncomfortably Fit A Person In It. My Guesses Are A Well, Sewer Or Time Capsule. For Context I Live In Eastern Massachusetts. We Plan On Going Back To Open It
Answer: Definitely a man hole. Do not open it. DEFINITELY DO NOT GO IN IT! Manholes are notoriously deadly because they contain low oxygen percentages and high concentrations of poisonous gases such as hydrogen sulfide and methane. First responders usually find two dead people in manholes - the first one that went in and succumbed and their friend who watched them pass out and rushes in to help.
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232points
#6 Unknown Glass Object Filled With Unknown Liquid, Found In An Early 1900’s Barn. Any Leads?
Answer: Fire extinguisher.
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230points
The 1.5 million members-turned-detectives in the subreddit community are really incredibly skilled in explaining objects. “A majority of things are solved within 15 minutes of posting,” the moderator said and added that under 10 percent of ‘cases’ don’t get solved on the subreddit.
Some people on the subreddit are also involved in a more serious project called Trace an Object that searches for objects posted by Europol that are linked to child abuse cases. “We've had some luck in identifying some things, but there's more yet unsolved and more to come as Europol does release some new information every few months,” the moderator told us about putting their great skills to use.
#7 What Is This Ring My Uber Driver Would Randomly Click?
Answer: Hes praying, thats a counter. The prayer involves repeating a phrase a certain number of times. Traditionally you kept track on your fingers or with a string of beads. This device does the same job.
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228points
#8 About The Size Of My Hand. Found In The Trash. (I'm A Trash Man). Any Ideas?
Answer: Laser cut "perpetual" calendar.
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224points
#9 Found Metal Detecting In A Minnesota Park Where Other Objects Around 1860s Have Been Pulled
Answer: Mold for casting lead soldiers
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215points
#10 Im Waiting For The Bank To Open And They Have This Card Facing The Street. What Is It Used For?
Answer: Former bank employee here. It's definitely a safety signal. We switched ours quarterly and it is to let other employees know that it is all clear to open.
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213points
#11 Witt? An Unusually Shaped Sink Possibly In A Corridoor, Spotted In A Property Listing On An Older House. Looks Quite Narrow, Probably Too Small For Washing Boots
Answer: It’s called a butlers sink, or cleaners sink. It’s used for cleaning, filling buckets, emptying out waste so housekeeping can wash down surfaces without wandering through the house.
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212points
#12 What Is This V-Shaped Scoring? Found In Germany
Answer: That’s an old way to collect sap to make turpentine. It’s called “cat face”
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206points
#13 Open Spoon With Spikes; Trident-Like Fork; Tongs With A Chicken Foot And A Perforated Spoon. All Antique Silver
Answer: Olive server, lettuce server, ice tongs. Having a talon on ice tongs is a novelty feature, but there are a lot of them out there!
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203points
#14 What Would Cause My Friends Lawn To Look Like This After The Snow Melted
Answer: That's some major vole activity. They look a lot like mice, but tend to be very active under winter snows and like tunneling.
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196points
#15 Weird Metal Tube (Now Dented) Found Metal Detecting In Se Iowa On A Farmstead That Stood From The 1890s-1960s. Seems To Be Made Of Copper, Found 4" Down, And Has A Bat-Like Symbol On One End. It's Closed On Both Ends And Feels Hollow
Answer: It's 1940s lipstick by Coty.
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188points
#16 Small Scoop With Alligator Clip As The Handle. Found It Cleaning Out The Kitchen
Answer: Coffee scoop with bag clip for coffee bag.
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188points
#17 Two Spoons Attached To A Wooden Handle At The Thrift Store?
Answer: It's a musical instrument literally called "spoons". Used as percussion by clacking the spoons together.
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187points
#18 Found While Cleaning Out A Deceased Estate. At First Glance Looks To Hold Liquid, But Has A Large Hole In The Bottom So, What Is This Thing?
Answer: Wasp Trap. Sweet fluid and dish soap go in bottom. Stinging insects fly in, dish soap eliminates surface tension and coats them. They die/drown.
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183points
#19 Any Guesses As To What This Plane Part Is? Fell Out Of The Sky In Colorado When That United Engine Failed
Answer: I think that's a vape pen dude
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181points
#20 Found On My Driveway. The Rcmp Arrested My Neighbour Last Night; Could It Be Related To That?
Answer: a taser dart.
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171points