In the past, if you found an object whose origin and purpose was unknown, you could take the doubt to your grave or ask your small group of acquaintances. Of course, there are extreme cases where unknown objects end up becoming false gods. However, with the Internet all this changed and in a few clicks we have the knowledge of thousands of brains around the world, making the task of unveiling the mysteries of a certain piece much easier.
For example, on Reddit there is a community where people often ask about the meaning of all kinds of things found out there. And there is always someone willing to share their knowledge in a selfless way. Here are some interesting articles on display.
1 – “I drive down the same street every day, what’s that about the car?”
A: A swivel arm for movie shooting.
2 – “I found this among my food, trapped in a piece of meat, does anyone know what it is?”
A: It’s a microchip to trace the origin of meat.
3 – “I saw this natural phenomenon near where I live, what is it?”
A: A lenticular cloud.
4 – “Yesterday, while on my way to work, I found this cloud around five o’clock in the morning. Beyond this, the sky was totally clear. What is it?”
A: Traces of a rocket launch. I live near a pitch base and you see this a lot.
5 – “I saw it during a flight to Cali, what is it?”
A: Apparently this is a facility to concentrate solar energy. A series of mirrors reflect the sun’s rays back to a central tower that is almost indistinguishable in the image due to the brightness of the light it emanates. This light is converted into heat, and this drives a steam-based turbine or other heat engine.
6 – “My sister found it while cleaning a fish. It was in his mouth and there was a smaller one in his stomach. Does anyone know what they are?”
A: This is Cymothoa exigua, a parasite that enters the fish’s body through the gills and attaches itself to its tongue.
7 – “Is it some kind of explosive in the server room?”
A: It’s a Sagger, a Russian anti-tank missile. Good luck.
8 – “I came across this animal in a zoo. I thought it was a hare. What is it?”
A: It is a Mara, a species of rodent in the family Caviidae whose habitat is found in South America.
9 – “I found this thing stuck in my front door, what is it?”
A: It is a tension wrench, part of a lock picking assembly.
10 – “What is this?”
A: They are large red slugs.
11 – “My girlfriend found this in her food, what kind of seeds are they?
A: A very beautiful photo of insect eggs.
12 – “While exploring White Sands National Monument, I stumbled upon this, what is it?”
A: It looks like titanium, similarly sized titanium spheres are commonly found in space debris.
13 – “I came across this doll under some stairs in the parking lot of a shopping mall. What is it?”
A: They call it the Doll of Worries, typical of Guatemala. You tell her your worries and put her under your pillow at night. According to tradition, the doll gets rid of those worries while you sleep.
14 – “My grandmother got this from a friend after she died. No one in the nursing home where he lives knows what it is. What is it?”
A: A tube of opium.
15 – “I found this at home, it was between the pages of a book as if they wanted to preserve it.”
A: This is a banknote from the Philippines when it was occupied by the Japanese in 1941.
16 – “I found this in the yard of my new house, turned it over, and saw that. Is it a fossil?”
A: Yes, it is a fossil.
17 – “I found this white thing in my basement. What is it about?
A: Fungus-infested spiders usually look like this.
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