19 Times People Saw Weird Things and Internet Users Explained Them in a Snap

Today, you can learn anything with help from the Internet. You can find tips on how to make pancakes or how to go on a trip around the world. But the value of the Internet is not about the amount of information it holds, but more about the people that share it with each other.

We at Bright Side are sure that Internet users can provide an answer to almost any question and explain the use of the most mysterious things. You’ll see what we mean as you scroll through this article.

“A friend of mine was recently on a flight sitting next to a family and these things were behind their ears. Can anyone ID it?”

Answer: They’re acupressure motion sickness patches from Taiwan.

“This was found in our house. There’s a tiny blade in there too.”

Answer: It’s used to clean brushes and cut out hairs that get tangled in robot vacuum cleaners.

“This is someone’s wooden contraption — may or may not be worth $2.”

Answer: This is a toy catapult! Put a rubber band on the hook, over the round drum in the middle, and around the arm — then back to the hook.

“A hook/carry thing — it came in a box of random tools I got at an auction.”

Answer: It’s a wool hook. I used it to move large bails of wool.

“Walked by this many times while in Berlin and still can’t figure out what it is.”

Answer: It’s a clock that shows time in a 24-hour format. Each lamp in each row is 5 hours, 1 hour, 5 minutes, and 1 minute, respectively. So the time in the photo is 11:41.

This is a bit longer than a palm, very old, and is from Spain — possibly African.

Answer: It’s a stamping device to press these designs into soft metal like copper or possibly pottery. The coloration of the surfaces suggests a transfer of material from the workpiece to the dye over time.

“It’s an electric duck, but why? It has a 2-prong cord that says ‘electricord’ but it doesn’t warm up, doesn’t have audio holes, and doesn’t move. Any ideas?”

Answer: This is a sensor switch for a lamp. To make it work, connect a lamp to it, plug it in, and touch the duck.

“A Chattanooga friend found this at Chickamauga Lake. He’s an avid fisherman of that area and is at a loss.”

Answer: Looks like it could be the pharyngeal teeth of a black drum fish.

“Got this for Christmas but have no idea what it is...”

Answer: It’s a ram rod used for loading an old cannon.

“I found this on a podium in a college classroom.”

Answer: It’s a computer antitheft device. One of the ends of this lock is connected to a laptop or a computer and the other is locked to the table.

“A heavy metal head found in an old toolbox”

Answer: It is a cap gun-type toy? Put the cap in the mouth and drop it. It makes a loud pop.

“Various metal pieces found during a beach cleanup”

Answer: They’re old battery cells. If you open up a 9-volt alkaline battery you’ll usually find a stack of cells that look exactly like the smallest one in the photo. Larger carbon-zinc batteries with more than 1.5V at the terminal are made the same way, though they’re not often seen in household items.

“Found this in a thrift store — a crafted wooden thing that’s hollow inside.”

Answer: It’s a case for chopsticks.

“Purchased this at a yard sale. The seller didn’t know what it was either.”

Answer: It’s a utensil holder. The semi-circle end clips onto the edge of a bowl, then you can rest your spoon or fork between the metal prongs sticking up.

“Art? A fishing lure?”

Answer: It’s a squid hook. The white part glows and attracts squid in the dark if you fish for them at night.

“Apparently, even the museum staff didn’t know what this was. I found it in a museum in Manitoba, Canada. Looks like it’s maybe leatherwork-related?”

Answer: It’s a needle punch tool for making rugs.

“Found this in the attic of a 1920s house. Does anyone know what it is?”

Answer: It’s a plant/flower press used to dry plants.

Came as part of a kitchen toolset from a thrift store. The other tool was an apple slicer and corer.

Answer: It’s a tool used to open buckets. It’s also a hammer for putting the lid back on.

“At my school, we have these bins. There’s a plate, a sandwich, a chicken/turkey leg, and then what?”

Answer: It’s an eco-tensil paper spoon. You fold it using the dotted lines and throw it away with the food waste.

What weird things have you seen or found? Maybe you have photos of them! If so, please share them down below.