16 People Who Had to Ask for the Internet’s Help to Identify Mysterious Objects They Discovered

From the moment the Internet came into our lives, it has made them so much easier. One good thing is that it helps us stay connected with one another and gives us access to all the information we need. There are also so many social platforms that allow us to ask and say anything we want. That’s how these 16 people managed to find an answer regarding the mysterious and unknown objects they stumbled upon.

1. “It’s about 10” long, the ball comes off, tool or part."

• It’s a hip replacement. My dad had one. The rough stuff on the metal is so the bone grows into it and secures it and the round part is the hip socket. Interesting_Loan9047 / Reddit

2. “Plugged in and secured with a screw in my Airbnb”

• It is a NoiseAware party detector. brock_lee / Reddit

3. “A round metal object with no opening on top, the lever turned at one point — any guesses as to what this could be?”

• It is indeed a chalk line.

4. “Small 2-inch approximately terracotta-looking pot with something burnt in it. Found it at work.”

• This is a Diya. Yesterday was Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights. They light this Diya with this wick (of cotton) dipped in mustard oil/ghee and it lights very beautifully. Redherringover9000 / Reddit

5. “Built-in narrow pull-out surface akin to built-in cutting boards”

• I think it’s for attaching a mechanical meat grinder. sumpuran / Reddit

6. “What is this beeping device inside my van’s glove compartment?”

• Looks like a tracking device. Your van may have been owned by a company that tracked their fleet, or if you financed it, the lender may have placed the tracker in case you defaulted on payments. Unless you consented to have it installed, it’s yours and you can remove it. qa567 / Reddit

7. “What is this tool? The part with the hook opens and closes if you move it, no switch/grip to move it though.”

• It’s a needle for a knitting machine. taskergeng / Reddit

8. “Just moved to a new house, found this plastic tub of 3mm tiny balls hidden on top of a built-in cabinet.”

• Looks like dried-out Orbeez. Add water and let sit to see if they soak it up. May have had an odor at one time. My ex-wife used to use these with water and scented oils and they would soak it up and smell good for a few weeks and then you would just have to add more. Radiant_Suspect_8622 / Reddit

9. “This gold arched decoration with a crystal in the middle — my wife found it at a Goodwill.”

• I think it’s an incense burner with a crystal pendulum to stir the smoke. decimatusX / Reddit

10. “Recently moved into a older house, and there are 2 of these ’outlets’ in the house with this weird device behind them, what is this thing?”

• Going out on a limb and saying a motion sensor for an alarm. Inigo93 / Reddit

11. “A red painted steel ball with light in it, attached to metal rods”

• My guess is it’s some sort of mining light. trixel121 / Reddit

12. “It’s a little door by the toilet with a spoon-shaped device attached to a hinge. It’s in an older house from 1938.”

• It’s a TP dispenser. Not all were made on rolls back then. pethoviejo / Reddit

13. “What is this cast iron tortoise?”

• It’s a string ball holder. You put a ball of string/twine in it and feed it out the top. It prevents the ball of string/twine from rolling around. Moonhunter7 / Reddit

14. “What is this 1.4-meter-high wooden pole with platforms?”

• Looks like a retail display tree (shoes, etc). But I’d slap some carpet on it and give it to my GF for her cats. gothlaw / Reddit

15. “The end appears to be copper, and it holds together thick metal bristles that don’t want to bend. It was found outside at an intersection that a streetcar passes through.”

• It’s a brush contactor for the streetcar. Probably_Capable / Reddit

16. “Wooden handle, saw-toothed metallic plate”

• It is a veneer saw. You use it to cut the veneer strips to size. Username74738282 / Reddit

Have you ever seen any of the items shown above in real life? Or maybe you’ve seen some other mysterious object that most people have no idea what it is.