“What Is This Thing?”: 109 Times People Stumbled Upon Mysterious Objects (New Pics)

It’s dry sand floating on the water tension, been picked up by the raising tide. Only happens when it’s hot enough to dry the sand and absolutely flat calm.

It is an Ikebana Vase. It is for Japanese style flower arrangements. The flowers go in the tubes and the rest is also filled with water, usually smooth stones, or maybe a small turtle or frog sculpture.

While many are saying “Dutch” door this is actually called “wicket”. A Dutch door has a separate top and bottom half that open together or independently. A wicket is a door (or two in this case) inside of a door. They are used mainly in psych wards as a way to get into a room that may be barricaded.

It’s to grow mushrooms. Called a fruiting house. It looks like there is even substrate there that you use in growing mushrooms.

This social infrastructure takes the form of a tensile fabric shading element suspended within a wooden frame. The frames are comprised of prefabricated modules and were assembled on this remote site. The structures were intended to provide shade and a moment of rest, but supported emergent activities acting as a platform, a playground, a marker, a memory, and more.

A boot puller, otherwise known as a boot jack. Heel in the u shaped groove, other foot on the back of that to stabilise it all, swingy bit on the top of the foot, hold the hand grips and lever the boot off the heel by lifting your booted leg up and out.

Baoding balls. They’re for stress and concentration. You’re supposed to put them both in the palm of your hand and rotate them around each other in a circle.

It’s part of the foundation. Keeping consistent depth keeps things moving together instead of separately so your steps stay on place and don’t heave or drop in time.

A Victorian toothbrush. The handle is made of animal bone and the holes are where the bristles (normally pig or horse hair) would go. Bristle toothbrushes like this were invented in China in the 1400s, but contrary to all that seems good and sane in this world, most Europeans weren’t all that into toothbrushes until the late 1700s/early 1800s. Source: am archaeologist.

Wife had something similar that was decoration on boots. You could take them off and change them. Its an ornament for a boot. Search for Boot Bracelet. Fits sorta like spurs.

It’s a simple/plane alidade. It’s made out of iron and wood. It measures 52cmx22cm. The hook measures 31 cm. The number at the base go from 0 to 1100.

I had a friend who had a keychain/key holder like that. Had a mini guitar amp on the wall. The keys attached to what you have. Then plugged into the wall for holding.

They’re timed valves to keep the water in the distribution lines from getting too old. When the water is in the pipe too long the chlorine level drops too much and the water is unsafe.

It’s a pocket roulette wheel, modeled to look like a pocket watch for easy concealment but with a rotating dial instead of an indicator hand. It has 12 parts instead of the typical number to look like a broken pocket watch upon inspection. Most likely this one was crafted out of a pocket watch as some of the original frame is visible around the dial/wheel/face.

The osmoscope. It measures the intensity of odors using an exponential scale in powers of two. The process works by dilution of the odor by air. This tool was created around 1938, and works by diluting the odor in the air. The device is then inserted into a test tube, and holes in the side of the tube allow air to enter. A sliding jacket is then drawn up the osmoscope to progressively cover the tube and holes in order to create a more intense odor.

This is an axe for peppermint bark. It comes in the package. Market solved. I’m so excited I’ve never solved one of these.

Tamarind spoon. You have Hispanics in the neighborhood. Hit up a liquor store and get a fresh pack and try them out!

It’s for holding to the stick and walking on the roller. For children or who ever wants to. We have several of these here. They are not used very often. People just don’t recognize the purpose.

Its to prevent animals from moving from zone to zone. The chains are difficult/ uncomfortable for herd animals to walk across so the dont. Similar chanis/bars are used for other cattle and livestock on farms.

Source: been on the safari tour way too many times and had guides tell us that.

Upon careful observation of the photograph, it is evident that their presence is associated with the enhancement of the building’s design. The array of diverse colors illuminating the walls implies a deliberate effort to infuse the structure with a captivating and much-needed sense of flair.

5G Home WiFi, it connects to 5G cell towers and streetlights and gets the best reception when attached to a plane of glass because 5G attenuates through walls.

A Lotto Pen. If you point the writing end up, all the balls move to an open area. Shake, put the ball point down and the lottery picks show up in the window. Taken for the Macro Mondays group theme of ‘numbers’.

In the army we called it a “clearing station”. If you were to have an unintentional discharge while clearing the weapon, that chamber would stop the bullet

It’s the base of a Tupperware container used to hold burger meat. It keeps leftover hamburger patties and such from touching the bottom of the pan.

I remember these from my kids going to McDonald’s back about 20 years ago. The kids’ shoes are small, and if they didn’t fit toe-first, they shoved them in vertically. It’s was all a hope that the shoes would stay together and another kid wouldn’t take the wrong shoes. That’s why I held their shoes in my bag.

Those are decorative, but some beds have those to cover the bolts that hold the frame together.

Hook for attaching “gaiters”

example that uses the laces themselves but the hook is a far better option because it’s independent of your laces which can affect how the boot wears

OP it’s called a tire thumper, 18 wheelers use them to “check their tires”. Really it’s kept under their seat for self defense. *floral carvings would be a bit out of place tho.

Turning on a hot water recirculating system. They’re used for faucets that are far from the hot water tank or tankless heater. They circulate hot water through a manifold and back through the cold water line so hot water is immediately available when the faucet is opened. It reduces water wasted while waiting for hot water to get to the faucet.

Direction finding (DF), or radio direction finding (RDF), is the use of radio waves to determine the direction to a radio wave source. The source may be a cooperating radio transmitter or may be an inadvertant source, a naturally-occurring radio source, or an illicit or enemy system. Radio direction finding differs from radar in that only the direction is determined by any one receiver; a radar system usually also gives a distance to the object of interest, as well as direction.

They are vintage kazoos, they probably need new baffles in the hole to be able to work properly.

It’s self fusing silicone tape, without a doubt. Often used in military applications. It does in fact expire, and will cure into a state where it no longer sticks to itself

It’s a kind of fire alarm, I believe. Doing a reverse image search, I found a Gumsung Fire & Security catalog (from gfs.co.kr; Link to the catalog PDF ), and right on the first few pages, an almost identical device: Image Link

A quick translation indicates “Heat detector by air action”The one you shared a picture of looks in very good condition (better than the example they used for the catalog; might want to take it an antique dealer and see if it’s worth anything.

To spare you having to try to translate it, here’s the text from the page with your item (as well as a telegraph like the old hardwired ones I’ve seen used in Boston fire alarms), an ‘Electric Fire Sensor’

It’s an obstruction to keep people off the grass. The pipes were used in a “use what you have” kind of sense, and the bottles are on top to keep the rain from getting into the tubes.

Lip balm. Similar to this: https://www.hottopic.com/product/star-strawberry-lip-balm/20817878.html

Edit: I think it’s from this set: https://www.ebay.com/itm/143980149629

Google tells me it’s a bar sink or food prep sink.

edit: Some photos show a cutting board in the half-moon area between the counter’s edge and the inside curve of the sink.

I can’t imagine it would be good as the only sink in a kitchen, but might be fine as a secondary sink in the kitchen or as a sink in an entertainment area.

The Settle-Carlisle Line is a railway line in the UK. It is in current use and is also a historic route that (at least used to) run a fleet of historic steam locomotives and period carriages.

No idea why they would be handing this thing out though. Earplug storage?

That can slide over the handles of suitcases with wheels so if you travel, you can pull it along with your suitcase and it won’t fall off.

Detention pond. That “building” is a drainage port. Bottom hole allows limited outflow and top hole is wide open.

An accessibility feature for people who are visually impaired to indicate the center of the urinal.

It’s Double End Engineer’s Scriber. Commonly known as just a scriber, an engineers scriber tool is used to mark materials, like wood metals and plastics before they undergo machining. They can also be used with various hand tools and are used to mark out the areas to be measured or cut etc.

They remind me of those lines that get closer together as you progress up them, to trick your mind into thinking you are going faster than you are. Usually used when approaching some minor hazard and where other traffic control methods would be inappropriate.

It's dry sand floating on the water tension, been picked up by the raising tide. Only happens when it's hot enough to dry the sand and absolutely flat calm.

It is an Ikebana Vase. It is for Japanese style flower arrangements. The flowers go in the tubes and the rest is also filled with water, usually smooth stones, or maybe a small turtle or frog sculpture.

While many are saying “Dutch” door this is actually called “wicket”. A Dutch door has a separate top and bottom half that open together or independently. A wicket is a door (or two in this case) inside of a door. They are used mainly in psych wards as a way to get into a room that may be barricaded.

It’s to grow mushrooms. Called a fruiting house. It looks like there is even substrate there that you use in growing mushrooms.

This social infrastructure takes the form of a tensile fabric shading element suspended within a wooden frame. The frames are comprised of prefabricated modules and were assembled on this remote site. The structures were intended to provide shade and a moment of rest, but supported emergent activities acting as a platform, a playground, a marker, a memory, and more.

A boot puller, otherwise known as a boot jack. Heel in the u shaped groove, other foot on the back of that to stabilise it all, swingy bit on the top of the foot, hold the hand grips and lever the boot off the heel by lifting your booted leg up and out.

Baoding balls. They’re for stress and concentration. You're supposed to put them both in the palm of your hand and rotate them around each other in a circle.

It's part of the foundation. Keeping consistent depth keeps things moving together instead of separately so your steps stay on place and don't heave or drop in time.

A Victorian toothbrush. The handle is made of animal bone and the holes are where the bristles (normally pig or horse hair) would go. Bristle toothbrushes like this were invented in China in the 1400s, but contrary to all that seems good and sane in this world, most Europeans weren't all that into toothbrushes until the late 1700s/early 1800s. Source: am archaeologist.

Wife had something similar that was decoration on boots. You could take them off and change them. Its an ornament for a boot. Search for Boot Bracelet. Fits sorta like spurs.

It's a simple/plane alidade. It's made out of iron and wood. It measures 52cmx22cm. The hook measures 31 cm. The number at the base go from 0 to 1100.

I had a friend who had a keychain/key holder like that. Had a mini guitar amp on the wall. The keys attached to what you have. Then plugged into the wall for holding.

They’re timed valves to keep the water in the distribution lines from getting too old. When the water is in the pipe too long the chlorine level drops too much and the water is unsafe.

It's a pocket roulette wheel, modeled to look like a pocket watch for easy concealment but with a rotating dial instead of an indicator hand. It has 12 parts instead of the typical number to look like a broken pocket watch upon inspection. Most likely this one was crafted out of a pocket watch as some of the original frame is visible around the dial/wheel/face.

The osmoscope. It measures the intensity of odors using an exponential scale in powers of two. The process works by dilution of the odor by air. This tool was created around 1938, and works by diluting the odor in the air. The device is then inserted into a test tube, and holes in the side of the tube allow air to enter. A sliding jacket is then drawn up the osmoscope to progressively cover the tube and holes in order to create a more intense odor.

This is an axe for peppermint bark. It comes in the package. Market solved. I’m so excited I’ve never solved one of these.

Tamarind spoon. You have Hispanics in the neighborhood. Hit up a liquor store and get a fresh pack and try them out!

It's for holding to the stick and walking on the roller. For children or who ever wants to. We have several of these here. They are not used very often. People just don't recognize the purpose.

Its to prevent animals from moving from zone to zone. The chains are difficult/ uncomfortable for herd animals to walk across so the dont. Similar chanis/bars are used for other cattle and livestock on farms.

Source: been on the safari tour way too many times and had guides tell us that.

Upon careful observation of the photograph, it is evident that their presence is associated with the enhancement of the building's design. The array of diverse colors illuminating the walls implies a deliberate effort to infuse the structure with a captivating and much-needed sense of flair.

5G Home WiFi, it connects to 5G cell towers and streetlights and gets the best reception when attached to a plane of glass because 5G attenuates through walls.

A Lotto Pen. If you point the writing end up, all the balls move to an open area. Shake, put the ball point down and the lottery picks show up in the window. Taken for the Macro Mondays group theme of ‘numbers’.

In the army we called it a "clearing station". If you were to have an unintentional discharge while clearing the weapon, that chamber would stop the bullet

It’s the base of a Tupperware container used to hold burger meat. It keeps leftover hamburger patties and such from touching the bottom of the pan.

I remember these from my kids going to McDonald's back about 20 years ago. The kids' shoes are small, and if they didn't fit toe-first, they shoved them in vertically. It's was all a hope that the shoes would stay together and another kid wouldn't take the wrong shoes. That's why I held their shoes in my bag.

Those are decorative, but some beds have those to cover the bolts that hold the frame together.

Hook for attaching "gaiters"

example that uses the laces themselves but the hook is a far better option because it's independent of your laces which can affect how the boot wears

OP it’s called a tire thumper, 18 wheelers use them to “check their tires”. Really it’s kept under their seat for self defense. *floral carvings would be a bit out of place tho.

Turning on a hot water recirculating system. They’re used for faucets that are far from the hot water tank or tankless heater. They circulate hot water through a manifold and back through the cold water line so hot water is immediately available when the faucet is opened. It reduces water wasted while waiting for hot water to get to the faucet.

Direction finding (DF), or radio direction finding (RDF), is the use of radio waves to determine the direction to a radio wave source. The source may be a cooperating radio transmitter or may be an inadvertant source, a naturally-occurring radio source, or an illicit or enemy system. Radio direction finding differs from radar in that only the direction is determined by any one receiver; a radar system usually also gives a distance to the object of interest, as well as direction.

They are vintage kazoos, they probably need new baffles in the hole to be able to work properly.

It’s self fusing silicone tape, without a doubt. Often used in military applications. It does in fact expire, and will cure into a state where it no longer sticks to itself

It's a kind of fire alarm, I believe. Doing a reverse image search, I found a Gumsung Fire & Security catalog (from gfs.co.kr; Link to the catalog PDF ), and right on the first few pages, an almost identical device: Image Link

A quick translation indicates "Heat detector by air action"The one you shared a picture of looks in very good condition (better than the example they used for the catalog; might want to take it an antique dealer and see if it's worth anything.

To spare you having to try to translate it, here's the text from the page with your item (as well as a telegraph like the old hardwired ones I've seen used in Boston fire alarms), an 'Electric Fire Sensor'

It's an obstruction to keep people off the grass. The pipes were used in a "use what you have" kind of sense, and the bottles are on top to keep the rain from getting into the tubes.

Lip balm. Similar to this: https://www.hottopic.com/product/star-strawberry-lip-balm/20817878.html

Edit: I think it’s from this set: https://www.ebay.com/itm/143980149629

Google tells me it's a bar sink or food prep sink.

edit: Some photos show a cutting board in the half-moon area between the counter's edge and the inside curve of the sink.

I can't imagine it would be good as the only sink in a kitchen, but might be fine as a secondary sink in the kitchen or as a sink in an entertainment area.

The Settle-Carlisle Line is a railway line in the UK. It is in current use and is also a historic route that (at least used to) run a fleet of historic steam locomotives and period carriages.

No idea why they would be handing this thing out though. Earplug storage?

That can slide over the handles of suitcases with wheels so if you travel, you can pull it along with your suitcase and it won’t fall off.

Detention pond. That "building" is a drainage port. Bottom hole allows limited outflow and top hole is wide open.

An accessibility feature for people who are visually impaired to indicate the center of the urinal.

It's Double End Engineer's Scriber. Commonly known as just a scriber, an engineers scriber tool is used to mark materials, like wood metals and plastics before they undergo machining. They can also be used with various hand tools and are used to mark out the areas to be measured or cut etc.

They remind me of those lines that get closer together as you progress up them, to trick your mind into thinking you are going faster than you are. Usually used when approaching some minor hazard and where other traffic control methods would be inappropriate.