When we truly think about it, it’s practically impossible to come up with something unique nowadays.
It’s very likely that someone has previously thought of it.
What about a breast cushion?
Someone had already considered it.
You’ll never have to feed, walk, or bathe your pet?
Yes, it does exist.
It’s also a rock.
A technology that allows you to feel as if you’re holding someone’s hand from any location on the planet?
Unfortunately, this project is already underway.
Although your creativity is limitless, there is a limit to how much you can invent that can truly benefit people.
People do, however, occasionally come across unusual artifacts in their environments.
It’s usually something that modern generations don’t use, or only use occasionally, or an object that has a certain purpose.
They used to be a thing, though.
It was a long time ago.
That doesn’t make them any less fascinating, though.
It turns out that all those odd objects that make you wonder, “What Is This Thing?” have their own subreddit.
Take a look at some of the items that people have submitted and what Redditors thought they were for in the video below.
More: Reddit
#1 Witt – Two Card Parked On A Street, Both Seem To Have T-Shirts (Or Some Sort Of Material) Over Their Wing Mirrors, But Just On The Side Facing The Road
Image source: J_Thompson82
Answer: It’s to keep birds from attacking the mirrors
#2 Ukraine National Police Posted An Image Of This Strangely Textured Object, They Call It “Dangerous To Health And Even Life”… But What Is It?
Image source: oriolopocholo
Answer: Butterfly mines
#3 Strange “Bench” With Tubing Near The Parking Lot Of An Old Elementary School
Image source: lDrawnOnwarD
Answer: This is playground equipment from the 70s-80s. You lay on your back and slide through by pulling on the bars
#4 Witt? Slightly Rusty Metal Plate With “Stop” In Cutout Lettering
Image source: crabnox
Answer: Rear Light Stop Face Plate A-13442-AR it’s from a vintage ford.
#5 My Girlfriend’s House Has This Panel Next To The Basement Door That Lights Up Whenever The Basement Light Is On. Why?
Image source: pippiethehippie
Answer: It’s to tell you that the basement light is on.
#6 Came In A Box Of Candy Making Supplies That I Got Off Craigslist. Measures 4 1/2 Inches Wide And Has About 60 Twisty Screws Embedded Into It. It Came With Lots Of Different Semi-Professional Sugar/Candy Tools And This One Has Me Stumped
Image source: maybetwobabka
Answer: It’s for making spun sugar
#7 What Are These Tiny Brown And Tan Beads I Found In My Carpet And On My Windowsill?
Image source: SomeGuySurviving
Answer: Looks like termite frass, aka termite poop.
#8 What Are These Lights That Appear To Be Behind The Mirror In The Hotel I’m Staying At?
Image source: rizcriz
Answer: It’s likely supposed to be an “infinity mirror” you lay a one way mirror over a standard one and put the LED’s between the layer giving it a tunnel appearance. The missing side could be a bad strip of LED’s
#9 What Is This Type Of Clamp Used? Only Says China On It
Image source: 11varine
Answer: That’s a gang lock for lockout/tagout. You place this on a breaker when multiple people are working on equipment to keep people from turning the equipment on.
#10 What Is The Intended Purpose Of This Very Thin, Glass Covered Drawer?
Image source: Smokinsumsweet
Answer: It’s a bedside cabinet and it’s to put cups of coffee/ breakfast on so it doesn’t leave coffee rings/stains on the top
#11 Found Buried In The Closet Of A Commercial Kitchen. What’ve I Got? About 6 Inches In Diameter
Image source: Normal_Skill3212
Answer: It’s a hamburger press
#12 Witt? A Small Wooden Box With A Sort Of Dial On The Front Which Can Turn But Cannot Turn Anymore At Certain Points. There Is One More In Another Pew
Image source: loverofmosthings
Answer: The dial is a potentiometer which suggests maybe those are headphone sockets with a volume control
#13 Why Do These Window Grills Have A Bulge. Seen In Spain
Image source: lw1999
Answer: They’re called “belly bars” in a lot of places. They’re designed for flower boxes.
Edit: forgot to mention that the primary purpose is security. The rounded part is for flower boxes.
#14 What Is Up Against This Person’s Mouth?
Image source: aintnufincleverhere
Answer: Court stenographer mask so they can dictate
#15 Burying Our Dog In The Backyard Who Passed Today At 16 And Came Across This Underground Wall
Image source: Key_Guidance9806
Answer: It’s got holes in it, that’s a dry well. That thing fills up when it rains so the yard doesn’t flood.
#16 “Light Fixture” I Noticed At A Restaurant In Nl, Canada. Appears To Be Some Sort Of Old Machinery
Image source: NerdMachine
Answer: It’s the lift mechanism from a dumbwaiter.
#17 Strange Graves In A Village Graveyard In Northwest Iran. So I Have Seen These Graves Since I Was A Kid But Never Understood What The Marking Meant. They Don’t Look Like Christian Or Muslim Graves And No One In The Village Knows Their Origin. If Someone Knows Anything, I Would Appreciate The Help
Image source: ap2094
Answer: gravestones in NW Iran sometimes have figural/narrative carvings that indicate the occupation of the person.
#18 Found In My Math Teacher’s Room. 100 Squares With Varying Patterns And Colors. No Patterns Seem To Be Same
Image source: MacerSpaceflight
They are times. For example, 4 is 2 blue, blue is 2. So 4 is 2×2. 8 has three blue 2x2x2. 96 has 4 blue 2x2x2x2 (32) x red which is 3. 32×3 is 96
#19 What Is This Thing? Small Gold Pig Container With Removable Tiny Spoon For A Tail
Image source: merlee13
Answer: Salt cellar aka salt pig
#20 Found On The Beach Near Myrtle Beach, Sc. We Just Had A Big Storm. It’s Very Firm And Breaks Apart Smoothly. Seems Organic
Image source: freeeicecream
Answer: We used to get stuff like this on our beach in colder weather. It turns out it was fats in the “treated” water from the Boston sewer plant that was pipelined out into Cape Cod Bay. They would clump together into big fatty lumps like that one.
Industrial lubricants (synthetic waxes) also regularly get dumped from ships and wash up on shores. Wax or fat seem most likely.
#21 Witt: This Metal “Ring” Was In Every Toilet In A Hospital. No Search I Have Done Was Able To Locate A Match Or Answer
Image source: sassyclassychassy
Answer: Stops flushable wipes from being flushed. Traptex Plumbing Protection System
#22 Heavy And Small. Found In Southern Germany
Image source: VivaZane
Answer: Medieval pilgrim’s badge
#23 Park Bench With Weird Cutouts. Don’t Think It’s For Bikes, You’d Need A Really Long Chain To Wrap All The Way Around
Image source: ouqw3
Answer: It’s for bikes. When u want to sit you park your bike behind you. It’s not meant to lock your bike and leave
#24 What Is This Oddly Burned Log I Found At A Campsite?
Image source: LavastormSW
Answer: Swedish log burning….burns longer than firing a log onto a fire.
#25 What Is This Thing? Circular Thing On A Post In An Antique Place
Image source: LPineapplePizzaLover
Answer: This is an Engine Order Telegraph used in older marine vessels. Allowed the Captain remote communication with the ships engine room.
#26 What Is This Instrument/Tool This Woman Is Displaying?
Image source: professor_doom
Answer: It’s a bed warmer
#27 Staying At An Airbnb And We Have This Little Metal Tray Embedded In The Counter Top. It’s About An Inch Deep (Banana For Scale), Cannot Be Removed, And Has A Drawer Underneath
Image source: GBinAZ
Answer: It’s where a scale used to be.
#28 What Is This Ice Phenomenon I Found On The Forest Floor Today?
Image source: ConclusionWorking
Answer: The term for it is frost flower and has to do with moisture freezing as it escapes plant tissue.
#29 To Piggy Back Off The Other Clothing “Loop” Post: What Is This Loop Towards The End Of Both The Sleeves On My Jacket? Who Would Hang Their Jacket Up By The Sleeves? What Are These For?
Image source: XEcksDeeD
Answer: The fleece can go inside an outer shell jacket. The loops connect inside the sleeves of the jacket so that the sleeves of the fleece don’t come out of the jacket when you take it off
Source: Demilked <3
