30 Baffled People Who Turned to the Internet for Answers (31 Photos)

Our vast world is full of incredible mysteries, and it is obviously impossible to know everything. Fortunately, the answers are usually just a click away on the internet…

One Reddit community, "r/whatisthisthing," is dedicated entirely to solving these exact mysteries. Users post photos of bizarre, unidentified objects, and fellow redditors jump in to figure out what on earth they're looking at.

From demonic-looking insects and odd bathroom doors to obscure vintage items and holes in the sky—here are some fascinating answers to baffling questions that just might blow your mind.





What is this alien-looking green gunk growing on my Band-Aid?



As a former pharmaceutical lab manager, my guess is that these are acrylates on the adhesive side of the bandage that have absorbed a ton of moisture over the last five years or so. It could also be due to a sudden temperature shift during storage or extremely low humidity. Another possibility is a reaction with one of the components in the bandage's dye, which turns green at a certain pH. That would also explain the uniform color and crystallization. Since medical supplies like bandages don't list their ingredients, I can't say for sure which component it is. If stored in a dry place without temperature swings, bandages can last indefinitely, but manufacturers don't design them to survive years of fluctuating heat and humidity. Usually, medical bandages have a shelf life of about two years from the time they're bought at a pharmacy.

Alternatively: it's just powder.

An old Samsung computer keyboard. What’s this coffee cup button for?





It launches the screensaver.

An elderly man I met in Germany sent me these little crests. He wrote that I should visit all these places in my lifetime. What are these meant for?



He sent you medallions from his walking stick.

What demonic creature is this?



It's a male *Creatonotos gangis* moth.

What is this? Found it next to my toaster. Please don't tell me it came from some cockroach!



Damn, man, that looks a lot like the rattle from a rattlesnake's tail.

Found these mysterious eggs up in a tree. What could they be?



My money is on a bird of prey catching a pregnant snake, starting to eat it, and then taking off mid-meal. The eggs must have dropped out of the snake mid-flight. No joke!

I keep a carnivorous plant in this jar, and this weird thing appeared on the wall. Help!



That's definitely a mushroom—a slimy cortinar (*Cortinarius mucosus*). I'm actually jealous! If you scoop a piece out and put it in another jar, you'll have a new pet. They feed on oats.

Why are there black dots on bus windows?



Those black dots around the edges of vehicle windows are called "frits." They are made of ceramic paint baked onto the glass in a kiln.

They serve several purposes. First, they protect the sealant holding the glass in place from UV rays. The polyurethane adhesive that keeps water out and holds the window secure degrades under prolonged exposure to sunlight.

Second, without the frits, the ugly bead of sealant used to glue the window would be completely visible. So they serve an aesthetic purpose as well.

What on earth did I find on my car?



That's a spiny oak slug caterpillar covered in the eggs of a parasitic braconid wasp.

What is this thing driving down the street?



That's a autonomous food delivery robot made by Starship Technologies.

Israel. We were out walking with the kids and found a huge stone slab. Any ideas what this could be?



Awesome find! Most of what's closer to us is a mosaic floor. The square stone with the hole is the base of a column. The structure likely dates back to somewhere between 100 BC and the 7th century AD.

A coworker found this hive on her balcony. She's sure it's a beehive, but I suspect it's a different insect. Am I right?



Those are dwarf honey bees, a species native to Asia.

Found this on my car door. What the heck?



In folklore and magic, a pine branch represents rebirth, immortality, and overcoming adversity through optimism and inner strength. Pine needles are burned to promote good health. Maybe you've got a secret admirer?

I've been collecting knives for 25 years, but I can't figure out why this one comes with chopsticks.



During the reign of the Chinese Emperor Qianlong (1736–1796), all Manchus and Mongols were required to carry knives like this. The set included two chopsticks because it was meant for eating meat, which was sliced off with the knife rather than bitten directly.

Help! What is this?



A predatory cone snail laid eggs. That mass contains hundreds of snail eggs.

Found this thing on a beach in New Zealand. At high tide, there are tons of them!



That's part of a siphonophore, a free-floating marine organism. The air float acts as a sail. Don't touch them! They can deliver a nasty sting, just like a jellyfish.

Found an oxycodone bottle in the woods with electronic circuit boards inside. What on earth...?



Looks like a bait bottle used to track pharmacy thieves. Oxycodone is an opioid painkiller, a narcotic analgesic.

Brought home some weird pods. They started opening up, which is making it even more terrifying.



It's simple—those are magnolia seed pods.

What is this weird square metal deposit inside this rock?



That's pyrite. During the Gold Rush, it was nicknamed "fool's gold" because of its resemblance to real gold. It naturally forms these cubic crystals.

What is this super tiny flask? The "needle" screws right into it.



It's a perfume pendant, usually worn as a necklace.

Found this in a deceased relative's home. What could it be?



It's a CD47 Nixie tube—a gas-discharge display indicator. It's the largest Nixie tube ever made, incredibly rare and valuable. One of these goes for around $1,500 on eBay.

What are those white markings on their headdresses?



These women are wearing the Crown of the Five Holy Wounds, worn by nuns of the Bridgettine Order (a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Bridget of Sweden in the 14th century).

What are these doors supposed to be for?



Architect here! The idea is that architects and designers use these odd door shapes to discourage people from making a mess in public restrooms. Regulations require some spaces to have bathrooms, but keeping them clean takes time and money. The main goal of doors like this is to remove privacy—very few people are willing to use a restroom that's so exposed. Fewer users mean less mess to clean up.

Does anyone know what this little guy is? When I found him, he was freezing cold and on the brink of death.



That's a spotted salamander.

Saw this last night in the sky over Wisconsin, USA. What is this phenomenon?



It's a commercial greenhouse using purple LED grow lights. On cloudy nights, they light up the sky dramatically. If the lights are yellow, the glow is even brighter.

My buddy found this strange rock on the east coast of England. What is it?



Looks like the fossilized remains of a worm tube colony.

Found this on an apple in East Germany. What could it be?



Simple: those are lacewing eggs.

What could have caused this strange cloud pattern?



This atmospheric phenomenon is known as a "fallstreak hole" or "hole-punch cloud." It forms in cirrocumulus or altocumulus cloud layers when the water droplets are supercooled. It can be triggered by things like an airplane passing through the cloud layer.

What on earth did I just catch?



That's a sea lily (Crinoidea), a relative of starfish and sea urchins.

What is this thing? Spotted at a thrift store.



Most likely, it's a vintage cigarette dispenser.