Have you ever found something that's weirdly intriguing, precisely because you have no idea what its purpose might be? I think we've all been there.
The good news is that answers are out there — assuming you're proactive enough to take a pic of said item and ask the internet masses what it might be.
This big, mysterious ball is a buoy for measuring waves. It won't do much good on land so they should just push it back into the surf.
You're looking at a simple game that can also be played with matchsticks. The markings on the case suggest it was a giveaway from a pharmaceutical company.
It sounds like some kind of time bomb, but it's totally safe. This is a battery-equipped anti-theft device and it's ticking because the battery is low.
This object was actually once part of a living thing. It's a pharyngeal tooth plate of some kind of fish.
This appears to be an exposure table for making silkscreens. It can be set up on a set of legs, over a light source.
Here's a handy gizmo that I didn't know I wanted. Basically, the cover can be pried off to reveal some power outlets — super handy for lamps that aren't near a wall outlet.
This isn't some kind of portal to the heavens, it's simply a camera glitch. A raindrop was whizzing by the lens and got illuminated by the camera flash.
Since it's labeled "malfunction isolation," it's a safe bet that this device is used to troubleshoot electronics in aviation systems.
This slab of concrete looks like a small bench but it's actually a shooting rest — a place for people to steady their arms while taking part in target practice.
Until it was identified, this was literally a UFO — unidentified floating object. Turns out it's a weird homemade boat called the Bubbleboat.
These tap-looking things are, well, taps. The idea is that chefs can easily fill large pots with water without having to lug them back to the sink.
Even though a horse family didn't recognize this, it is indeed related to horses. It's basically a decoration that hangs from the saddle.
Here's a highly specific tool that was once part of a Sunbeam mixer. It's designed to steadily drip oil into a blend of mayonnaise.
Before we had cellphones, we had pocket calculators. Before we had calculators, we had mechanical calculators — also known as adding machines — like this one here.
Here's a device that's, well, kind of gross. I also had no idea it was a thing. Yes, folks, this tool is designed specifically for picking earwax.
There's a lot to unpack here but the answer is pretty simple. This is a device to measure local field intensity for AM and FM radio signals.
This is a handy little device that some buildings install to make it easier for the fire department to access a key in case of an emergency.
Putting aside the fact that this may be an alien, not a human, they're holding a device that scans for cars with keyless entry.
It could be a pendant if you really wanted it to be, but it's actually a small box for matches.
A pot is pretty on the nose, though it's more specifically a planter. A beautifully ornate one at that, featuring a form of Arabic calligraphy on it called Kufic.
With the angle, it's a little hard to spot, but the tail of this creature is actually unglazed ceramic. This is important seeing as it's an automatic plant waterer. Stick the tail in some soil, pour water into its mouth, and the water will seep through the porous tail into the dirt.
Mostly used to open cans of primer or glue, the round end goes around lids and helps pop them open without risk of damage.
This ring's purpose is purely decorative. It's left over from the 2012 Olympic games in London, meant to symbolize the Olympic rings.
Here I was, so confident that it was a skateboard rack or something. But no, place two of these down and put a pole in one of the rungs and you've made yourself a hurdle.
Not quite a bike rack, instead that middle post holds garbage cans. They were likely removed before this photo for disposal or cleaning.
Pretty simple, but neat that it was identified all the same, this is the ball from a ball check valve.
This little device opens food bags with ease, meant to be kept on your fridge with that magnet for easy access.
This is an old piece of canning equipment, namely a sealing machine.
If you don't quite feel like mowing your lawn, try using this lawn roller to tamp it down for a while and give your lawn an even appearance.
This looks like a camera of some kind but it's actually a surveying tool that measures subsidence — basically the process of buildings gradually settling downward.
Talk about portability, this is a clip-on ashtray.
The description of this object lends it an air of mystery, but it's actually pretty straightforward: this is a drink muddler, used for stirring and mixing drinks.
