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50 Times People Asked The Internet For Help Identifying Mystery Objects And They Delivered (New Pics)
CuriositiesJUN 19, 2025

50 Times People Asked The Internet For Help Identifying Mystery Objects And They Delivered (New Pics)

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No matter how smart, well-traveled, and well-read you are, you simply can’t know everything. It’s impossible to fit the entire world’s knowledge into a single person’s mind. And so, even the brainiest individuals sometimes spot things that are so bizarre that they have no idea what they’re for and how they work.
Luckily, the sprawling and experienced ‘What Is This Thing?’ community is here to help answer people’s questions. It’s an online group that unites millions of internet sleuths—veteran and amateur alike—who help identify mysterious objects. We’ve collected some of the freshest mysteries these netizens have helped solve to show you just how weird the world can get.

#1 Two-Stair Concrete Steps In Upstate NY

Two-Stair Concrete Steps In Upstate NY
Mounting block / horse block / carriage stone.
104points

#2 The County Park Near Me Was Recently Renovated, And They Put Up This Thing. It Is Super Tall, At Least 12 Feet. I Thought At First It Was Cameras, But I Didn’t See Any Lenses. It’s In A Wide Open Field, So Maybe It’s For The Weather? I’ve Been So Curious To Figure Out What On Earth It’s For!

The County Park Near Me Was Recently Renovated, And They Put Up This Thing. It Is Super Tall, At Least 12 Feet. I Thought At First It Was Cameras, But I Didn’t See Any Lenses. It’s In A Wide Open Field, So Maybe It’s For The Weather? I’ve Been So Curious To Figure Out What On Earth It’s For!
Purple martin 'gourd' nesting boxes.

ACanadianGuy1967:

You’ll notice that they are often built so they can be lowered (note to cable or rope in that photo for example, attached near the bottom of the pole.) When the birds leave in the autumn to migrate south, it’s good to lower the nesting boxes and clean them out so they’re ready for next spring. It reduces illness when they have clean nesting boxes.

Two of my neighbors have purple Martin nesting boxes up on poles but theirs look like little apartment buildings. But there are gourd-style ones in our area, too.
98points

#3 What Is This Tiny Pocket On The Back Of My Shirt

What Is This Tiny Pocket On The Back Of My Shirt
It's a vestigial device deliberately installed into a great number of imported shirts so that they classify as a specific article of clothing which avoids a tariff.

Link: "tariff engineering." It also explains why Converse shoes come with fuzzy, "non-athletic" soles which abrade down to the grippier outsole with use.
Key quote: "Columbia Sportswear adds pockets below the waistline of certain women’s shirts so that they are not technically classified as blouses, which brings the duty rate down from 26.9% to 16%, as Marketplace reported in 2019. The company refers to it as a 'ChapStick pocket.'"
95points

In a piece on 'Psyche' written by Ivar Fahsing, a detective chief superintendent and associate professor at the Norwegian Police University College in Oslo, if you want to think like a detective, you need to embrace an investigative mindset.

"The terms ‘possibly’ and ‘could’ should be your watchwords as they are in every real investigation and at every crime scene," he says.

According to Fahsing, this is called the ABC principle in detective handbooks, and it urges you to:

  1. Assume nothing;
  2. Believe nothing;
  3. Challenge and check everything.

#4 What Is This Elevated Place In My House?

What Is This Elevated Place In My House?
It's an Australian house that isn't that old. And according to OP, previous owner was Asian. It's the place where you put the fridge. The plug at the back makes sense. Asians like to hose their kitchen and bathrooms down to make it easier to clean. Water won't go under the fridge this way. I used to live in Singapore.
94points

#5 What Are These Long Metal Looking Sheets Being Draped Over This Building?

What Are These Long Metal Looking Sheets Being Draped Over This Building?
Not art, not copper sheeting. Just some dude's attempt to shield himself from 5G. I'm not kidding.
Source: I'm in the neighborhood, people are complaining.
Edit: The "faraday cage" answers from other users are correct. It's not rational, the guy who bought the building is unwell.
Edit 2: It's metal. Yes, it's loud.
89points

#6 Handmade Ceramic Vessel With Inner Cup(?) Attached To The Bottom Of The Lid, Found In A Goodwill Near The Twin Cities Metro. What Is This Intended For?

Handmade Ceramic Vessel With Inner Cup(?) Attached To The Bottom Of The Lid, Found In A Goodwill Near The Twin Cities Metro. What Is This Intended For?
It's a butter bell. You put butter into the cup of the lid, put cool water in the outside cup and it keeps the butter cooler on the counter.
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89points

In order to be a good real-life detective, you need a vast array of both soft and hard skills. According to Indeed, detectives need to be adaptable, analytical, team players, good communicators, and quick problem-solvers. Regarding the latter, sleuths should be able to “navigate complex situations and come up with viable solutions.” They should start by identifying problems, then break them down into manageable parts, develop a plan to address each part, and then implement their plan.

Meanwhile, the hard skills they need include research and investigation, data analysis, and technical proficiency with various types of software and equipment. You can practice both your soft and hard skills to sharpen them, look for training and further education, and network and learn from other detectives.

#7 Heavy Iron Twisting Mechanism, About 10 Pounds, Rusty And Thus Rust Colored, Handle Turns All Three Spindles The Same Direction, About 12 Inches By 8 Inches Base Without The Handle. What Could It Have Been Used For?

Heavy Iron Twisting Mechanism, About 10 Pounds, Rusty And Thus Rust Colored, Handle Turns All Three Spindles The Same Direction, About 12 Inches By 8 Inches Base Without The Handle. What Could It Have Been Used For?
Rope making. twisting three strands into a rope.
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89points

#8 What Are These Platforms In Seoul Metro Stations?

What Are These Platforms In Seoul Metro Stations?
Removes fine dust and viruses from shoes installed at Seoul Forest subway station.
84points

#9 Metal Cylinder In Wall Of 1800s House With A Little Lever And Flap

Metal Cylinder In Wall Of 1800s House With A Little Lever And Flap
Definitely an old speaking tube. If your house is two stories tall it would have most likely came out by the front door so if a visitor came by and no one answered a knock they could pull the flap up and blow into it and it would whistle to hopefully get some ones attention. Then drop the flaps and be able to talk to each other with out having to go down stair.

My parents old house (it was built in 1906) had one. They had silicone filled the hole by the front door. But it was repaired and made to work great.
83points

The ‘What Is This Thing?’ group is big. Actually, that’s a bit of an understatement. At the time of writing, it boasts a jaw-dropping 3 million (yes, million!) members from around the globe. The subreddit was originally founded in September 2010 and currently ranks among the top 1% Reddit communities by size.

The purpose of ‘What Is This Thing?’ is simple. These internet sleuths help puzzled and lost internet users identify mysterious objects, whether it’s a peculiar gadget, an intriguing implement, a design detail, or something else entirely. Every member is expected to behave in a civil manner and avoid making jokes or unhelpful comments. These are bannable offenses! Keep in mind that “If your comment doesn't help, don't comment.”

#10 Found These Decorative Glass Vials In A Box Belonging To A Deceased Elderly Woman

Found These Decorative Glass Vials In A Box Belonging To A Deceased Elderly Woman
Perfume bottles..And fancy ones at that..Nice find..
83points

#11 Saw This Metal Door On A Mountain In Tyrol, Austria. It Is Attached To A Thick Plastic Well, Has A Vent On Top Of It, And I Can Hear Air Rushing Behind It Fairly Loudly

Saw This Metal Door On A Mountain In Tyrol, Austria. It Is Attached To A Thick Plastic Well, Has A Vent On Top Of It, And I Can Hear Air Rushing Behind It Fairly Loudly
Water reservoir for tapwater or artificial snow.
Source: I am Austrian.
78points

#12 Found In Hotel Room. Has A Plug But Does Nothing. Gold Plate Can Rotate, But Can’t See Any Purpose Or Function!

Found In Hotel Room. Has A Plug But Does Nothing. Gold Plate Can Rotate, But Can’t See Any Purpose Or Function!
It’s a lamp and it took me far too long to realise this is sitting on a desk and isn’t actually 7ft tall.
77points

The moderator team keeps a detailed archive of the most frequently asked things. You should definitely peruse it before asking for help. It’s quite likely that someone’s already been bamboozled by the object that is making you strain your brain right now months or even years ago!

The mods also have an in-depth guide that you should look through before making a submission.

#13 Lens Or Defect In The Middle Of My Front Window?

Lens Or Defect In The Middle Of My Front Window?
That's usually the result of a drive-by with a BB gun.
77points

#14 My Kids Are Calling These “Sea Turds,” Since They Are Round, Soft/Spongey And Dark Green But What Are They Really? Pensacola, Florida; Bayside, Underwater

My Kids Are Calling These “Sea Turds,” Since They Are Round, Soft/Spongey And Dark Green But What Are They Really? Pensacola, Florida; Bayside, Underwater
Tar balls! When I was a kid, my mom used to cover me in baby oil before we swam in the Gulf of Mexico so the tar didn’t stick to me.
75points

#15 Metal Overshoe With Leather Straps. No Waiting Or Stamps

Metal Overshoe With Leather Straps. No Waiting Or Stamps
Flat track motorcycle racing shoe. Goes over your boot and lets your inside foot drag around the sweeping corners and not catch or wear out your boot, probably from the 1960s.
75points

During a previous interview with Bored Panda, one of the moderators who helps keep ‘What Is This Thing?’ running smoothly shared a few reasons why people become online detectives who help strangers. For one, they can’t help but get involved as intriguing objects show up. Furthermore, there’s they want to show off their awesome search skills and enjoy the ‘thrill of the chase.’

“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 explained to us earlier.

#16 Weird Blinking Canasters Found Under Hotel Room Bed. What Are They?

Weird Blinking Canasters Found Under Hotel Room Bed. What Are They?
Could these be smart bed legs, for trapping/detecting bed bugs that climb up them.

Lilithrc390:

They are 100% this bug detection things, my mum sent me some closer photos.
74points

#17 Does Anyone Have A Clue As To What These Might Be????? They Are Heavy, And There Are Screw Holes In The 2 “Legs” Of Each Piece

Does Anyone Have A Clue As To What These Might Be????? They Are Heavy, And There Are Screw Holes In The 2 “Legs” Of Each Piece
Vintage school desk frame.
73points

#18 Found Two Plastic Bags Tied Up To A Tree In A Forest- Small, Clear Plastic Bags, Filled With What Looks Like Soil (?) And Zip Tied To A Tree

Found Two Plastic Bags Tied Up To A Tree In A Forest- Small, Clear Plastic Bags, Filled With What Looks Like Soil (?) And Zip Tied To A Tree
Looks like air layering to propagate the trees (make new trees from healthy branches faster than starting from seed).
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71points

According to them, it is exceedingly rare for someone to share a photo of an object and for nobody to know what it is. At the time, the moderator said that under a tenth of all ‘cases’ posted on the subreddit didn’t get solved. On the flip side, the group’s success rate is astounding.

“A majority of things are solved within 15 minutes of posting,” the mod added. This was back when the community had 1.5 million members, a number which has since doubled in size.

#19 Small Different Size And Color Rings. Looks Like Aluminium. Found In A Box With Screws, Nails Ect

Small Different Size And Color Rings. Looks Like Aluminium. Found In A Box With Screws, Nails Ect
Bird rings for pigeons.
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69points

#20 What Is This Weird Little Wad Of Cash

What Is This Weird Little Wad Of Cash
Modeling accessory. People use them for dollhouses, stop action films, dioramas, etc. Those look 1-to-12 scale, so they'd look size appropriate with a 6 inch tall action figure.
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68points
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