Curiosity isn’t a sin, so long as you don’t go poking your nose into spooky dungeons and haunted fortresses without preparation. I firmly believe that curiosity and the bright-eyed search for knowledge are what truly make us human. Many of us are willing to put our ego and pride aside to ask for help when we’re stumped. Even more fortunate still is that the world’s chock full of people willing to lend a helping hand.
That is where the popular ‘What is This Thing’ online community comes in. A subreddit that’s home to nearly 2 million members, r/whatisthisthing helps people identify mysterious artifacts and peculiar-looking items, wherever they might be found. They’ve got a great track record and it sometimes feels like there’s nothing that their collective wisdom can’t figure out. Either that or they’ve got an endless supply of Scrolls of Identification hidden somewhere safe.
Today, we’re featuring the subreddit’s best recent posts. We’re pretty sure that these will awaken your inner sleuth, not your inner sloth. Scroll down, upvote your favorite pics, and let us know in the comments if you’ve got any bizarre unidentified items at home. In the mood for more amateur detective work? Don’t sweat it, Bored Panda has got it covered. You’ll find our previous articles about r/whatisthisthing right over here, here, and here.
More info: Reddit | Frequently Asked Things
#41 What Is This Pink "Dust" That Keeps Reappearing In The Corners Of My Kitchen Ceiling Within A Few Hours Of Being Cleaned?

Answer: grain mites
Report
116points
#42 Old Object With Mirror, Foldable, Can Be Opened And From "Longworth"

Answer: It is a laryngoscope
Report
114points
#43 New Bra I Bought Online Has A “Microchip” Inside Of It. Looks Pretty Fake To Me But Can’t Pinpoint What Is It Exactly And Why Such Lengths To Have It Inside The Hems Like This

Answer: New age "healing" stuff, like the magnetic bracelets and such.
Report
111points
#44 Found This In A Random Box Of Kitchen Supplies. Is This Just For Carving Meat Or Some Other Food?

Answer: It's to slice bread
Report
109points
#45 Variable Stop Sign In Illinois

Answer: These are blinders, typically used so the sign can old be read from a narrow angle. They're also called directional shields. You'll see them on traffic lights a lot more often.
Report
101points
#46 My Metals Professor In College Does Not Know What This Thing Is. We Dont Either And He Has Multiple Of Different Sizes. The Box Has No Info Besides What Is Shown In The Photo. It Is Some Kind Of Ceramic Material With An Inverted Dome In The Center. Any Help?

Answer: It is a slate dish for grinding flux.
Back in the day, you put a little water in it and rubbed a borax cone in it to make up the day’s flux.
Back in the day, you put a little water in it and rubbed a borax cone in it to make up the day’s flux.
Report
97points
#47 This Object Is Hanging From The Ceiling Of Our Waiting Room At The Hospital. It’s A White Smooth Dome With No Numbers Or Labels Of Any Kind. Anyone Know What This Is For? My Thought Was WiFi Or A Signal Booster

Answer: Signal booster
Report
96points
#48 What Is This S-Shaped Metal Ornament On This House?

Answer: Anchor plate or wall washer. It’s meant to keep masonry in place. And made esthetic because they are visible. There a bolt going on the other side, in the center. And hold the bricks in place
Report
96points
#49 What Are These 2 Metal Studs On The Side Of This ATM?

Answer: Pretty sure they put those on there to stop skimming.
Report
83points
#50 Opened Up An Old Motor I Acquired At A Garage Sale, Took This Part Off The Top And There’s A Sponge And Some Wires Inside. Why Is There A Sponge Inside?

Answer: The cover is for the start or run capacitor, foam is probably just to stop it from rattling
Report
82points


