16 Mysterious Findings That Puzzled the Whole Internet

The world is full of mysterious things and sometimes, we don’t even have to go to a museum to find a marvel. But simply finding it isn’t enough — it’s important to understand what this thing actually is. And the Reddit community, with the self-explanatory name “What is this thing?,” solves these everyday puzzles.

While the Bright Side team has rushed away to go looking for mysterious things on their balconies, it’s time to have a look at the findings of these internet users.

“I found this ring while doing some work in the garden. I cleaned it and saw that it doesn’t look like an ordinary ring.”

Answer: This is a mourning ring. The initials belong to the lost loved one.

“My neighbors have placed this on their wall facing into our garden. It looks like a mix between a camera and a speaker.”

Answer: This is an animal repeller.

“I found this in my aunt’s treasure collection. It seems like it has something heavy and metal inside.”

Answer: This is a special tracker pebble used to measure sea currents. People mark it with a number, bury it in a specific place, and then eventually look for it with a metal detector.

“I found this inside a shoe I haven’t worn in a while. What is it?”

Answer: These are Hibiscus or Rose of Sharon seeds.

“My friend found this thing on the beach in New York.”

Answer: This is a part of a tooth plate of a ray.

“I found this in a drawer when clearing out a bunch of old junk.”

Answer: This is a holder for a leg of lamb.

“On the rain downspout in Prague”

Answer: This is an art installation created by the sculptor, David Černý, called Embryo.

“I found at a sale. No one there knew anything about its origin.”

Answer: It’s likely to be a gris-gris talisman. It’s a Voodoo amulet that is used to protect its owner from evil magic.

“The hole gets smaller when I squeeze it. I found this device in the kitchen at my parents’ house.”

Answer: This is a device that is used to strip corn on the cob.

“Our landlord found this thing in the basement. Heavy metal. Google has no answers.”

Answer: This is a very old soldering iron. The end you are holding is the head, and it’s usually made of copper. The other end would normally have a wooden handle.

“I found this in the sand in Australia. It’s slow moving and floats in water.”

Answer: This is a Blue Dragon sea slug. Be very careful, as it can sting you. And try to put it back where you found it.

“I found this in a coffeeshop. What is this game? How do you play it?”

Answer: This is a board game called Mancala. You can read about the rules here.

“I found this thing in the forest.”

Answer: This is a stinkhorn egg.

“We found it cleaning my mother-in-law’s house, and we are clueless as to what this is. It seems like it opens, but I can’t figure out how.”

Answer: This is a Polaroid SX-70 camera.

“My grandmother passed away, and we were going through her memories. She stole this from Paris.”

Answer: This as an antique ball used to play pétanque. You can find the rules here.

“I found these in an envelope taped to the wall behind the refrigerator in my apartment. I live in South Korea.”

Answer: This is a local good luck talisman that helps people to sell their house quicker.

Have you ever found things that you didn’t recognize right away?