15 Times People Found Mysterious Objects Whose Purpose Was Revealed Only Thanks To Internet Gurus

The world is full of mystery and wondrous things. And curiosity isn’t a sin as long as it serves to identify those peculiar-looking items that we stumble across now and then. Below, we compiled a list of some of the most bizarre items people have happened upon, guaranteed to awaken the amateur detective in you. The explanations behind these weird and random objects are real eye-openers.

1. What is this object roughly the size of a hand, around 700-800 grams, solid metal that is matte except for the round section.

Answer: It’s an artificial hip replacement.

2. I found this in my checked luggage after a flight. I have no idea what it is, and I’m assuming it was left in there by TSA.

Answer: Used for wiping detection swabs over luggage or hands. Airport security puts a swab in the end, rub it over the luggage, and then scan it.

3. I found this on the street. The top button makes a loud “click” when pressed in. The device seems to be mostly hollow. What is this thing?

Answer: It’s a dog “clicker” for training them.

4. I found this in the belongings of an elderly relative. It’s a small, very sharp “needle” with an eyelet, made of bone/ivory.
(Standard lighter for scale).

Answer: It’s a Victorian sewing awl: a small pointed tool used for piercing holes, especially in leather.

5. What is this electrical science apparatus? It is a metal box. When plugged, the small motor inside rotates the rod emerging from the bottom, variable speed control on the front.

Answer: It is a benchtop homogenizer. There would have been an attachment to the end for small samples. Many alternatives are used to agitate now.

6. I found this in a 100-year-old house, and it looks to be pretty old itself. It is 1.4 m long with a hollow rubber tip at one end and a flat but hollow slotted tube at the other.

Answer: It’s a fire poker. It is used to be plugged into a gas outlet for the purpose of lighting a coal stove.

7. What would the small pocket on the bottom of this Lenovo laptop bag be used for? It’s not very big and cannot hold thicker objects.

Answer: It’s for securing items like passports, medical cards, etc. Anything easily stolen by pickpockets.

8. What is this grey/silver box in the back of every single taxi in Dubai?

Answer: It’s part of the computer system that monitors the taxi and talks to the base. There should be screens in the car, a little scanner, and a receipt printer. They plug into this box, which houses the main computer part.

9. This has a long handle like a shovel, but on the end, it looks like a sort of basket/rake thing. What is it?

Answer: It’s an apple (or other fruit) picker.

10. I found this metal jar lid with a pipe screwed on a pint jar. What is it?

Answer: It is a mason jar with a hose attachment that attaches to a vacuum cleaner used as an insecticide sprayer.

11. I found this in our new rental. It’s about 20 cm tall, and the glassware is removable from the wooden backboard.

Answer: It’s a barometer. The exposed end sees atmospheric pressure. The contained bulb is vacuum-sealed. The water level will change with pressure.

12. Ball-bearing roller glove? It has spikes on the other side and is made from flexible plastic.

Answer: It’s a massage glove.

13. “Wooden object, approximately 7 inches tall. Nothing is written on it. Nothing moves. It’s a solid piece of wood. What is it?”

Answer: Jewelry holder — To stack rings on and put earrings in the bottom dish.

14. What is this hippo-shaped hollow ceramic object I found in the street? It has a small slot at the front of the mouth and a stepped hole at the bottom.

Answer: It is a clay hippo ocarina (hippo-shaped train whistle). Blow through the hole.

15. Elastic with a clip in the back pocket of my toddler’s rain jacket. What is this for?

Answer: It’s to flip the entire jacket inside out through that pocket, then use the strap to wear it like a fanny pack.

Have you got any bizarre and unidentified items at home? Let us know in the comment section below.