What a thing: the strangest finds. Issue 139
We regularly come across things that are not immediately recognizable. All these incomprehensible things excite the imagination and torment with doubts, but here, as always, experts from the network come to the rescue, who easily and quickly solve all the riddles.
1. "What are those metal things in the corners of the steps and what is their purpose?" 
Answer
: "Anti-dust corners. To make it easier to sweep the dust out of the corners."
2. "Iron cone on either side of the gate at the entrance to a building in Bath, England" 
Answer: "
This is a cap for extinguishing a fire. The guest of the house used it to put out the torch."
3. "An object found while walking off-road in Bosnia. Pay attention to the spikes! I wonder what it is." 
Answer:
"DO NOT TRAVEL IN BOSNIA UNLESS YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHERE YOU ARE GOING. It's full of unmarked minefields."
4. "Old ruler. I don't know how to use it and what it measures" 
Answer
: "Slide rule. These things sent people to the moon."
5. "Someone left a small elephant filled with water in the apartment after the party. We argue with the neighbors what it is used for" 
Answer
: "This is a melted reusable ice cube."
6. "Sunset photo I took from JFK airport. Are those shadows — the skyline of Manhattan?" 
Answer:
"I live near Mount Rainier and this happens here too, only at dawn. The mountain casts a shadow on the underside of the clouds. It looks no less impressive."
7. "What are these blue reflective things for? Installed on a pole, facing the field" 
Answer
: "They reflect the headlights of cars in the field so that the deer do not cross the road. This is for the safety of both motorists and animals."
8. "Found on the dashboard of an old GMC. Lucite-like material, ribbed" 
Answer
: "This is to look at the traffic light. Previously, traffic lights were installed on the same side where cars stopped, which sometimes made it difficult for those who were first in line to see it. This thing helped to reflect the light from above so that you could see when the traffic light switches.
9. "Incomprehensible straight but not parallel lines next to my office building… What's going on here?" 
Answer
: "Apparently you live in the UK, where planning authorities often require developers to carry out 'appraisal trial excavations' to ensure that there are no important archaeological artifacts on site that could be destroyed during construction. If anything of interest, more serious archaeological excavations may be required before construction begins."
10. "Funnel 4 meters high with 3 holes next to a playground and a beer garden in Germany" 
Answer: "
This is a three-sided basketball hoop (Balltrichter mit drei Ausgängen). You can throw a ball there, but you don't know who will get it next. My kids' school just installed this. The kids love it."
11. "Brass or copper thing on the bathroom door handle" 
Answer:
"Copper kills bacteria and microbes".
12. "What is this thing that I have seen several times on houses in the UK?" 
Answer
: "This is a shoe scraper toclean the dirt from the soles before entering the house. Pretty common stuff."
13. "Found in a used bookstore. All parts rotate and markings/months suggest what could it be for mapping?" 
Answer:
"Astrolabe, an ancient GPS. Usually used for navigation, but also for measuring time and other scientific purposes. I have a similar one hanging on my keys."
14. "What the hell is growing on my mug after I heated it up in the microwave?" 
Answer
: "I'm a ceramist. So, earthenware is porous, depending on the material. Porcelain is dense, while faience and ceramic are less dense. In any case, liquids can pass through fired clay. The coating applied on the outside may look solid, but "It can have hundreds of tiny cracks and holes. When you microwave liquids or just leave them in a ceramic vessel, they can seep and crystallize in the cracks and holes. This usually only happens with cheap or handmade ceramics."
15. "Retractable shelf with holes on both sides of the sofa." 
Answer
: "Tray stand. One more part is missing here - a tray with the appropriate pins. The tray is placed on top, and the pins are inserted into this thing. They fit together, so the tray stands up tightly. Then the tray is taken back to the kitchen, and this part slides back so that it does not interfere.
16. "A piece of blue glass found in a second-hand store. About 12 centimeters high, with a hole in the top." 
Answer:
"This is a whale oil lamp. Handmade glass. Very unusual blue color. Expensive thing!".
17. "A scissor-like device that I bought many years ago at a flea market" 
Answer:
"It's an antique umbilical cord clip. That's why it's in the shape of a stork!".
18. "Maybe it's some kind of thimble, but what is it for? Found at a yard sale" 
Answer:
"An old thumb thimble used by fishmongers/butchers".
19. "This little hole in the glass appeared in my parents' bedroom" 
Answer: "
When I was little, I once shot my parents out of the window with an air gun, and I was put under house arrest for a month. The hole was just like that.
20. "This is a steel wire frame with two glass balls. Found in an old garage among various things. The balls can rotate inside the frame" 
Answer: "It's a razor blade sharpener."
21. "What is this thing for? A book with black blank pages interspersed with thin translucent pages" 
Answer:
"Photo album. Photographs are pasted onto black pages. Transparent pages are designed for protection."
22. "What are those little dots on my bed? Every time I shake them off they reappear within 2 hours and I don't understand how" 
Answer
: "The shape (slightly oblong) looks like thermite flour (poop). They are most likely eating the wood beams on your ceiling and made a hole in the non-wood part so they have a place to dump their excrement. Call an inspector as soon as possible."
23. What is that big round thing in the middle of the women's room? Bathroom is old and doesn't seem to have water flowing in or out of it… Just a big cylinder with a drain" 
Answer:
"This is a sink. For washing hands. You have to step on the ring to start the water."
24. "What are those seven-dot marks on the styrofoam?" 
Answer: "While many plastic items have small marks where liquid plastic is injected into the mold, EPS items are not made this way. Instead, small plastic pellets are pre-treated with steam in a large hopper, which causes expand into small foam pellets. These foam pellets are poured into a mold and then additional steam is injected into the mold, causing the pellets to swell further until they fill the mold completely. The little seven-dot marks are the steam injection points."
25. "Large metal cylinder found on the beach in Husavik, Iceland. What is it?" 
Answer:
"It's decided! We asked around and it turned out that these are submarine detectors, it's okay, there are no explosives inside!".
26. "Small plastic bag with red gel and a metal disk inside" 
Answer:
"Hand warmer. You can 'click' on a piece of metal and it will start a chemical reaction and heat up the pouch."
27. "What is this thing? Several surgical instruments were found nearby, but this may not be related to them at all." 
Answer
: "This appears to be a primitive instrument used in the past to aid childbirth. Yiwu. Further googling tells me that these things were used to reduce the size of an infant's head if it was too large for childbirth, by pumping out cerebrospinal fluid In general (I hope) for cases when the fetus is no longer alive. Terrible.
28. "What is this grate in front of the door of this house? I live in a snowy area and have never seen such a drain. Does anyone know why this is?" 
Answer
: "This is to shake the snow off the sole."
29. "What is that silvery metal thing with a narrow bridge and a spoon-shaped end?" 
Answer:
"A tool for cleaning the ears, used to scoop up sulfur. More common in eastern countries."
30. "What are those decorations in the bakery window in The Witch's Delivery Service?" 
Answer
: "Knäckebröd. The film's aesthetic is heavily inspired by Miyazaki's trip to Sweden. Just to clarify — it's just Swedish/Scandinavian crispbread."
