There are times when people come across strange situations or incomprehensible objects that are simply impossible to decipher. In some cases, even internet searches fail, and the only thing to do is to post a picture of the thing on a forum and trust that the internet’s most experienced users will explain the strange thing.
1 “I dug this strange object out of the ground. It’s completely flat on one side, concave on the other and has a hole in the middle.”
2 “Today I saw these metal poles on the side of the road in the Netherlands. I noticed that they all had nets on top. Why?”
3 “I found this strange cylindrical shell on a beach in North Carolina. What could it be?”
4 “An unusually perfect crystal ball inside a metal structure. What is it?”
5 “Our neighbours sent us this picture of a creepy video they took with their intercom. The stranger walked up to the front door, held this device up to the camera, which buzzed and then the person ran away. Should they be worried about that?”
6 “I found this on a trip to the Scottish Highlands. The handle is made of wood and the net of wire.”
7 “I found these metal objects with a metal detector under a pier when the water was very low.”
8 It’s about 30 millimeters. Should I be worried or is it probably inert?”
Answer: I am a weapons expert and I will tell you everything you want to know. It’s an Oerlikon Flab Kan 63/90, 35×228 mm (the same type of machine gun found in the German Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard). It’s probably a practice round, but that doesn’t mean it’s inactive. I would take it to a real expert if I were you, it can be very dangerous
9 “I recently bought a house near a lake and found three of them in the water. Some kind of thing wrapped in plastic mesh with pipes running through it and bricks at the bottom.”
Answer: it’s a fishbowl. It was designed to give small fish a safe haven from larger fish. It’s also handy when fishing, as the bigger fish are usually waiting around for some small prey to come out of it.
10 “I found it inside an instrument. It’s about the size of a grape.”
Answer: this is often the case with violins, for example. They are caused by years of accumulation of lint and dirt. Many people think it brings good luck.
11 “Some friends and I were flying over the suburbs of Tucson and I noticed this huge hole.
It looks like there’s water in it.”
Answer: it’s a mine. The rings on the sides are actually roads, and the machines are driving on these roads to get the extracted materials out.
12 “This crate is full of all kinds of strange substances. I found it in a house built in the 1920s. Does anyone know what they are?”
Answer: it’s a chemical kit from the beginning of the last century. Maybe it was used for a school project or something. Still, it’s worth being very careful with it, as chemical regulations in the 1920s were nowhere near as strict as they are today.
13 “I would like to know what these tiny fibres in the biscuit are.”
Answer: the worn edges of the conveyor belts probably fell off during production.
14 “Today we found this strange thing in a country house. It looks like some kind of feeder or nest.”
Answer: it’s a bee hotel.
15 “In the United States, I found this strange bathtub with one part sunk in.”
Answer: it is a hip bath, which is a specially designed type of tub for immersing the bather’s buttocks and hips. It allows the person to bathe as if they were sitting in a chair.
16 “I was hiking in the Cinque Terre National Park in Italy and came across a bunch of blue nets in the trees.”
Answer: these nets help collect fruit that has fallen from the trees. When they are not in use because there are no fruits, they are rolled up, as you can see in your picture.
17 “Does anyone know what this thing hanging in front of my fireplace is? It has gears inside.”
Answer: it’s a rotating clock that rotates roasts and meats by itself when cooking over an open flame.
18 “What is this little platform that I found on a hiking trail near my house. Apparently it leads nowhere and makes no sense.”
Answer: help people get on their horses.
19 “I would really like to know what this purple smoke is.”
Answer: it is a by-product of burning high iodine garbage.
20 “This is a very realistic eyeball made of glass. On the back is some metal piece with three holes in it. I found it in an antique shop.”
Answer: it’s just a promotional keyring from a company that makes glass eyes.
