What is this thing? 40 mysterious objects and their purpose

Man is an inquisitive being. That's why the Reddit community of What is this thing is very popular - it has 1.8 million subscribers. People come there with photos of things whose purpose they cannot determine, and ask for help. The collective brain usually solves even the most difficult task in 20-30 minutes!

According to one of the moderators of the community, about 75-85% of all questions are solved, and about 50-60% of them are solved within the first 30 minutes after the post is published. The average time to solve a question is 20-30 minutes, and twenty percent of posts are not published at all, because the answer to them is given to the user by a team of moderators — they are already adept at such things and know a lot.

I found this blue disk in a pack of chips with sour cream. It has the words "Ferrous 25 mm Bst, Cert Number 213026b" on it. What is this thing?

Answer: This is a test chip to check the proper operation of the metal detector. The purpose of the check is to make sure that such things imitating a foreign object do not pass. So this is someone's very big flaw!

What are these designations? Found on the back of a sign installed on a forest trail in Alaska

Answer: This is Stafir Móti Asókn, an Icelandic magic sign for protection from ghosts and evil spirits.

Help me determine what it is and what it was used for? Kept in the family (UK)

Answer: the final work of the student to obtain the qualification of a master engraver.

A blue glass token found in a field in France. One of the ship's flags looks like a Union Jack. A game chip or a historical artifact?

Answer: This is part of a ring worn by some important person related to one of the shipping companies in the 18th century.

A metal object with no identifying text or numbers on it. Opens up to the size of the bracelet. What is it?

Answer: This is the top (clasp) of a purse or a small handbag.

An object made of metal, size 3-4 inches, with glass balls. What is this thing?

Answer: It's a reflector. These used to be made, for example, for railways.

I know it's a chair, but why are the armrests so long?

Answer: It looks like a farmer/planter's lounge chair. You put your sore swollen feet on these handrails after sitting on a horse all day. That's why the back is also inclined.

Trenches in a field near the airport. They weren't there before. What are they for?

Answer: Before construction, according to the rules, it is necessary to look for places of archaeological interest. Such test trenches are being made. The points on both sides of the trench are excavated earth.

Some kind of kitchen utensils made of silver. When you press the button at one end, the "claws" open. What is this thing?

Answer: A holder for sugar cubes.

A switch on the back of the watch with the inscription "Miracle Eye". What's it?

Answer: Most likely, it is a light sensor that can be turned on and off. When it is turned on, the clock will not make chiming sounds if there is no light. That is, they won't wake anyone up at night.

I bought this thing many years ago, but I still don't know what it is. The central part of the globe rotates and any rotation ends with the number "10" at the top. Numbers from 10 to 130 in increments of 10. What's it?

Answer: This is a thermometer. Look at the number that coincides with the convex (upper) part of the plane, it should be an approximate temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.

Found 14 years ago in a hole made in a log on Dallas Road Beach in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. A mystery that remains unsolved

Answer: These are fragments of an art installation by Diana Thomson.

What are these cones? Found in a German supermarket

Answer: This is the so-called "Schultüte" (Schultüte, school bag). When a child goes to school for the first time, parents fill such a cone with gifts and sweets for him.

My grandfather dug it up. Found in Liverpool, perhaps a thing from the Second World War?

Answer: Aha! She's the one! This is an item from the category of "trench art", Google it, there will be a lot of beautiful engravings on shells.

Found on Lake Erie beach. I've lived by the lake all my life and I've never seen anything like it. What's it?

Answer: The upper jaw of the drummer fish (dark humpback).

Found in a public park/golf course. Everything that is not protected by a grid is pulled out. What is it for?

Answer: This is a house for bees and other insects, it is filled with different materials so that lonely insects can overwinter.

What is the purpose of the metal plates on the floor in front of the water fountains at Universal Studios Orlando?

Answer: This is done for the blind so that they can navigate with their walking stick.

This thing washed ashore in Massachusetts. It's made of wood, looks like handmade. Maybe it's a piece of a chair?

Answer: It looks like the Davis Quadrant, or Backstaff — a navigation tool, the predecessor of the sextant. Maybe we should take it to some museum of maritime history.

Chest of drawers with drawers without sidewalls. What is this thing?

Answer: It looks like an artist's locker. This is a set of drawers for storing drawings, drawings, architectural plans, etc.

What kind of device is built into the kitchen island table?

Answer: This is a saucepan with a built-in colander for cooking pasta, potatoes, etc. When the products are ready, a button is pressed and the water drains.

This was sent to me from my college, and I have no idea what it's for

Answer: This germ key is a special device for turning the door handle without touching it.

Found in a forest in Sweden, about a meter from the ground, measuring about 20 cm. Solid to the touch, but liquid drips when tapping. What is it?

Answer: It looks like a tinder mushroom that releases excess moisture (this process is called guttation).

I found it in the basement of the house, with a bunch of other similar records. It's kind of made of glass. What is this thing?

Answer: a glass plate for a "Magic lantern" (an old projector).

The clock with numbers from 0 to 5 is in Prague. What are they for?

Answer: This is a water level indicator — a limnigraph.

What is this sagging of power lines? What purpose does it serve?

Answer: This is called an expansion loop. Coaxial cable (for cable television) is mainly made of aluminum, which expands and contracts with temperature changes more than the steel carrier core to which it is attached. Therefore, such areas of sagging are specially left.

This metal tool (on the right) was left by my great-grandfather. There is no marking. What's it?

Answer: Your grandfather might have known someone in the Navy. Such things are used during the ceremony in honor of crossing the equator.

A small hard ball, about the size of a pea, was found inside the boiled claw of a Kamchatka crab. What is it?

Answer: This is a crab pearl.

Heavy metal cubes on a chain, on each face of the cubes — different shapes

Answer: These are Han Solo's dice.

A scaffolding-like structure found in the Czech Republic. There was a paintball court nearby/airsoft. And what is this for?

Answer: This is a three-dimensional maze. These are built in children's camps or other outdoor clubs (paintball, airsoft, trekking, etc.).

These two objects enter one into the other and there was some kind of liquid inside. What is it?

Answer: This is a grass chopper.

Small plastic figurines were buried in the backyard. California, USA

Answer: Hasbro released a Monopoly mini-game in 2009 called Monopoly: Get Out of Jail. It looks like these are game chips from there.

What is it?! This is not a pen, the tip is sharp, metallic and does not write. There is no room for ink, graphite rod or anything else

Answer: It looks like a scriber, a carpenter's marking tool.

What is this scanner that the policeman had on the roof during the protest? It seemed to shine a green laser on some people in the crowd

Answer: A police device for determining specific targets. It's easier to track a person in a crowd if you look from above.

What is this house that has sunk into the ground?

Answer: Only a guess, but perhaps the building was built during the energy crisis of the 70s. To save on heating and cooling.

These lead blocks were found in a UK river. 125 g each. Can anyone identify them?

These are the magic squares of Navagraha Yantra (Yantra of the Nine Planets). They are considered a powerful energy symbol in Vedic astrology.

What kind of thing was on the head of this serial killer during the hearing in court?

Answer: He is partially deaf. In fact, he has a giant hearing aid on his head (headphones with a sound amplifier).

I found it among the amulets in the collection of antique jewelry. What kind of thing?

Answer: These are Masonic symbols — a square and a compass! If you twist it quickly, you will see them.

What are these things that look like colored woolen threads? Found on an Australian beach

Answer: Caviar of the sea hare.

A postal parcel came in the name of my wife to our address from Romania. We don't know anyone in Romania. There's nothing in the syringe

Answer: It's like packing mushroom spores. Golden Teacher (GT) is a popular variety of psychedelics.

It came to me by mail. Small glass tubes with two tiny balls inside. I have no idea where it came from and what it is

Answer: It looks like rattles for fishing lures. They make a sound that attracts fish.