What is this thing: the strangest finds. Issue 190
We regularly come across things that we cannot immediately identify. All these incomprehensible things excite the imagination and torment you with doubts, but here, as always, experts from the network come to the rescue, who easily and quickly solve all the riddles.
"What is this thing" — a subreddit of 2.2 million online detectives that solves mysteries. And quite successfully! Here, netizens post photos of strange, quirky and often vintage finds that puzzle them. And then experts unite to explain what this thing is and what it is used for. Here are the most interesting examples of such clues. 
1. “What are those metal things at the corners of the steps and what is their purpose?” 
Answer: "Anti-dust corners. To make it easier to sweep dust out of the corners."
2. "An iron cone on either side of a gate at the entrance to a building in Bath, England" 
Answer: "This is a fire extinguishing cap. A house guest used it to put out a torch."
3. "Object found while off-roading in Bosnia. Notice the spikes! I wonder what it is" 
Answer: "DO NOT GO HIKE IN BOSNIA UNLESS YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHERE YOU ARE GOING. It's full of unmarked minefields."
4. "An old ruler. I don't know how to use it or 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 about what it is used for.” 
Answer: "It's a melted reusable ice cube."
6. "Photo of the sunset I took from JFK Airport. Are those shadows the silhouette 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 those blue reflective things for? Mounted on a pole, facing the field." 
Answer: "They reflect the headlights of cars in the field to prevent deer from crossing 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 for looking at the traffic light. Previously, traffic lights were installed on the same side on which the 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 it was You can see when the traffic light changes."
9. "Strange straight but not parallel lines next to my office building… What's going on here?" 
Answer: "You seem to live in the UK, where planning authorities often require developers to carry out 'assessment trial excavations' to ensure that there are no important archaeological artefacts on site that could be destroyed during construction. If the trial trenches If anything interesting is discovered, more extensive archaeological excavations may be required before construction can begin."
10. "4 meter high sinkhole with 3 holes next to a children's playground and beer garden in Germany" 
Answer: "It's 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 one of these. The kids love it."
11. "Brass or copper thing on the bathroom door handle"
Answer: "Copper kills bacteria and germs."
12. "What is this thing I've seen on houses in the UK a few times?" 
Answer: "This is a shoe scraper to remove dirt from the soles before entering the house. Quite a common thing."
13. "Found at a used book store. All the parts rotate and the markings/months make me think it might be for mapping?" 
Answer: “An astrolabe, an ancient GPS. Usually used for navigation, as well as for measuring time and other scientific purposes. I have a similar one hanging on my keys.”
14. "What is this thing that grew on my mug after I microwaved it?" 
Answer: "I am a ceramicist. So, clay products are porous, depending on the material. Porcelain is dense, but earthenware and ceramic are less dense. In either case, liquids can pass through the fired clay. The coating applied on the outside may appear continuous, but there can be hundreds of tiny cracks and holes in it. When you heat liquids in a microwave or just leave them in a ceramic vessel, they can leak out and crystallize in the cracks and holes. This usually only happens with cheap or handmade ceramics."
15. "Pull-out shelf with holes on both sides of the sofa." 
Answer: "Tray stand. There is one more piece missing - the tray with the corresponding pins. The tray is placed on top, and the pins are inserted into this thing. They fit together, so the tray fits tightly. Then the tray is taken back to the kitchen , and this part slides back so that it does not interfere."
16. "A blue glass piece found in a thrift store. About 12 centimeters tall, with a hole in the top." 
Answer: “This is a whale oil lamp. Handmade glass. Very unusual blue color. Expensive thing!”
17. "A device similar to scissors that I bought years ago at a flea market." 
Answer: "It's an antique umbilical cord clamp. That's why it's shaped like a stork!"
18. "It's probably a thimble of some kind, but what's 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 at my parents’ window with an air gun, and I was put under house arrest for a month. The hole was just like that.”
20. "It's a frame made of steel wire with two glass balls. Found in an old garage among various things. The balls can rotate inside the frame." 
Answer: "This is a sharpener for razor blades."
21. "What is this thing for? A book with black blank pages alternating with thin translucent pages." 
Answer: "Photo album. Photos are pasted onto black pages. Transparent pages are for protection."
22. "What are those little dots on my bed? Every time I brush them off, they come back within 2 hours and I don't know how." 
Answer: "The shape (slightly oblong) looks like termite meal (poop). They are most likely eating the wood beams in your ceiling and have made a hole in the non-wood portion to have a place to dump their excrement. Call an inspector ASAP."
23. What is that big round thing in the middle of the women's restroom? The bathroom is old and there doesn't seem to be any water flowing in or out… Just a big cylinder with a drain"
Answer: “This is a sink. For washing hands. You need to step on the ring to start the water.”
24. “What are those seven dot marks on the foam?” 
Answer: "Although many plastic items have small marks where liquid plastic is injected into the mold, expanded polystyrene ("foam") items are not made this way. Instead, small pellets of plastic are pre-treated with steam in a large hopper, which makes These foam pellets are poured into the mold and then additional steam is injected into the mold, causing the pellets to swell further until they completely fill the mold. The small seven-point marks are the steam injection points."
25. "Large metal cylinder found on the beach in Húsavik, 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. "A small plastic bag with red gel and a metal disc inside." 
Answer: "Hand warmer. You can 'click' a metal piece and it will start a chemical reaction and heat up the pouch."
27. "What is this thing? Some surgical instruments were found nearby, but it may not be related to them at all." 
Answer: "It appears to be a primitive instrument that was used in the past to assist in childbirth. Yiwu. Further Googling tells me that these things were used to reduce the size of a baby's head if it was too large for childbirth, by pumping out the spinal cord." liquids. Generally (I hope) for cases when the fetus is no longer alive."
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 anywhere. Does anyone know what this is for?” 
Answer: “This is for shaking snow off the sole.”
29. “What is that silvery metal thing with a narrow bridge and a spoon-shaped end?” 
Answer: "An ear cleaning instrument, used to scoop out wax. More common in eastern countries."
30. "What are those decorations in the bakery window in Witch's Delivery Service?" 
Answer: "Knäckebröd. The film's aesthetic is largely inspired by Miyazaki's trip to Sweden. Just to clarify — these are just Swedish/Scandinavian crispbreads."
