The internet is a veritable treasure trove of knowledge. And there are hundreds, and thousands of detectives online, all willing to give you a helping hand. The subreddit ‘What is This Thing’ is overflowing with amateur and professional detectives, and experts who help others identify the unusual, peculiar and weird things they came across. This online community’s combined wisdom and pursuit of the truth are second to none.
This is why Bored Panda compiled a list of the most bizarre and interesting things, along with the subreddit’s guesses of what they are. Scroll down, upvote all the finds you liked, and don’t forget to leave a comment about what you thought each thing was. And when you’re all done, take a look through Bored Panda’s other lists about the strangest finders keepers here and here.
More info: Reddit
#1 I Found This Ring In My Backyard While Doing Gardening. After Cleaning It, It Doesn't Look Like A Normal Ring. Any Ideas ?
Answer: It's a Georgian/early Victorian mourning ring. The initials belong to the lost loved one.
They were typically made from gold (18k+) and enameled in black. Yours looks like it was made around 1820s-40s.
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450points
#2 What Is This Big Hole That Is Usually Found On Milk Cartons?
Answer: It’s a pressure relief hole. If you dropped it, instead of exploding, the hole would pop out.
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436points
#3 Found At Myrtle Beach, Sc. What Is This Thing?
Answer: that’s a broken megalodon tooth.
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435points
The ‘What is This Thing’ subreddit is very large: more than 1,170,300 people (and counting) are part of this community. Which just goes to show just how many people are drawn in by a desire to figure out modern mysteries about vintage things. Or how many Sherlock Holmes and Castle enthusiasts actually prowl the streets at night, looking for cases to solve. You never know, your own neighbor could be one of these everyday heroes, helping others figure out answers to questions that won’t let them sleep at night.
#4 This Weird Wrapped Car. The Lights Were Wrapped In Cloth. Serial Numbers All Around. Anything Significant Or Just Tacky?
Answer: It obscures the car while being test driven, so the yet-to-be-released models are not photographed and published. The random "wave" patterns effectively hide the body contours and lines.
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407points
#5 Scanning Family Slides From 1964 - This Was Over My Parent's House In Texas. What Is This Thing?
Answer: it's a residue of a rocket launch. It's called Twilight effect. It was done right at sunset so the sun lit the vapor/exhaust trail from underneath.
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406points
#6 This Was Found By A Cleaner Hidden Under My Dresser In My Bedroom (She Told Me Very Discreetly About This Which Has Me Concerned), I’ve Tried To Google It To No Avail. What Is This Thing?
Answer: voice recorder, doesn't transmit using wireless though so whoever placed this thing, will be back. If this was in your home, chances are there are cameras as well.
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382points
Some of you might be thinking that my talks about mom-and-pop internet detectives are a bit far-fetched. But, the interesting fact is, that there are plenty of amateurs who have solved major mysteries! For example, BBC Future writes how Carl Koppelman got fired from his job at Disney and became a detective in his spare time.
#7 Saw This Cat In Texas First Thought It Was A Domestic Cat But When We Got Closer That Seemed Less Likely. What Is It?
Answer: Black bobcat.
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379points
#8 I Saw This In My Yard. Is This Just A Type Of Worm? Or Is There A Parasite On It? (I Saw It Breathing/Have Some Sort Of Heartbeat, So It’s Alive)
Answer: that's two worms making more worms.
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366points
#9 Found This Small Kettle Years Ago. Tried Searching For A Similar One But Have Always Come Up With Nothing. Anybody Have An Idea Why This Has This Unique Shape?
Answer: a portable men’s urinal for bedbound patients. It is used to pee when you cannot get out of bed.
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332points
Koppelman is now the moderator of “The Unidentified” subforum on the Websleuths website and holds himself personally responsible for solving three mysteries. He matched three unidentified people in coroners’ reports with their missing person profiles. Among them is Lynda Jane Hart, whose remains were found in 1988, but identified only in 2011. If Koppelman can do this in his spare time, imagine what other mysteries we could solve if we joined forces!
#10 4in By 4in Scissors. Uncomfortable To Hold, In Either Hand, Two Or Four Fingers. What Is This Thing?
Answer: they're childrens' training scissors. Like for pre-schoolers. The extra holes are so a grown-up can co-scissor and help the kid.
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326points
#11 What Is This Random Structure I Found In The Middle Of The Forest?
Answer: a WWII one man bomb shelter.
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325points
#12 Found In My Dads Room, Really Hoping Its Not A Sex Thing. What Is This Thing?
Answer: it goes over shoes to give grip on ice. They are called yak tracks.
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302points
#13 In A Multi Storey Car Park. Is It A Passage For Rats? There Are Also Small Holes In The Floor And Ceiling With A Tiny Ladder Connecting Them
Answer: Secret Industry by John Pym: The stairwells and lift lobbies of multistorey car parks are not usually areas where people pause to admire the architecture, so John Pym used this to his advantage. The model walkways and ladders replicate their full-scale counterparts and are a playful way of suggesting an alternative, unseen service industry at work within the building. Superficially mundane, some people may use the car park for years without being aware of their presence, while others will notice straightaway. The artist sees it as a reward for those who look more closely at their surroundings.
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302points
#14 Looks Suspicious But Has Several Interchangeable Sized Tips And Appears To Have A Purpose. What Is This For?
Answer: It's a snowman kit.
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296points
#15 Found In My Aunts “Treasure” Collection. Seems Like A Heavy Metal Weight Inside. What Is This Thing?
Answer: This is a "tracker pebble" used for tracking longshore drift. The pebbles have a serial number, are buried in a location and then refound further down the coast in the shingle by metal detector.
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294points
#16 This Purple Sky In Southern California Seen At 1:30am And Lasted For Only About 5 Minutes Before Fading Away. What Is This Thing?
Answer: the glow is related to a commercial cannabis growing operation. That's the color of grow lights.
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290points
#17 Clock In Assisted Living Facility
Answer: Bedsore prevention. You would refer to the two hour intervals as a turning schedule.
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290points
#18 My Friend Just Moved In To A New Flat And This Is Her Neighbours Garden. What Is This Thing?
Answer: a Voodoo altar
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288points
#19 This Just Trundled Across The Road In Front Of Me, Zoomed Down The Sidewalk Before I Could Get A Better Look At It. Spotted In Melbourne Australia. What Is This Thing?
Answer: it's an automated delivery, possibly for food.
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286points
#20 Silver Capsule Camouflaged Inside A Wooden Container Hanging In A Tree In A Public Park. What Is This Thing?
Answer: it's a geocache. Judging by the size, it'll likely only have a list inside for people to sign that they found it.
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282points