14 People Who Found Bizarre Objects — and What They Really Are Will Amuse You

In an age where unanswered questions are everywhere, the internet has become an unexpected force for solving the unsolvable. Time and again, puzzles that stump professionals are cracked within minutes by sharp-eyed, curious users. From strange discoveries to tricky riddles, here are 14 real-life mysteries cracked by everyday internet users.

1. “Found in my house, fits my thumb snugly. Blue silicone thimble like object with holes where the pad of the finger is, and holes where the nail and knuckle are.”

• It’s for flipping through a stack of papers quickly without wetting your finger. It goes on your index finger not your thumb. © thedoctor916 / Reddit

2. “Why is this toilet shaped like this? Found in a hospital.”

• Actually, it’s for holding a bedpan vertically, so that it can be cleaned out after use. The water pipe on the back of the toilet will have a fold-out sprayer for this purpose. © rivalarrival / Reddit

3. “What is the purpose of this?”

• Serious answer is this is for blackboards/whiteboards to be wheeled into and out of the room. © ngpropman / Reddit

4. “A family friend was staying at a rental home and was wondering what this strange wooden and leather stool with loops could be.”

• It’s a camel saddle stool. You know, those just look uncomfortable for both camel AND human. Ouch! © nitro479 / Reddit

5. “What are these ‘balls’ found on the beach?”

Found on a beach in Antigua. Initial thought was some sort of egg sack. I’m usually used to seeing “mermaid pouch” type of egg sack from sharks and rays. These were a little smaller than a golf ball.

• Sea grapes! I recently had to look these up because I read Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid (which takes place in Antigua); the protagonist mentions “sea grapes” at some point. © Proof-Sun-4857 / Reddit

6. “What’s this? I found it on a Tupperware I bought.”

• I think it maybe an “anti theft tag” stores are starting to put some under the stickers of items. It usually deactivates after it is purchased. © Eeveebeevee724 / Reddit
• Yep I can 2nd that, sometimes when I’ll buy stuff it’ll be hidden behind the sticker stuck to it or more expensive stuff has the big lock in the middle, wrapping the product with black wire. © Thereelrip3 / Reddit
• It is. This is an “RF” radio tag. Can be countered by using tin foil and specific fabric. © nonamer212 / Reddit

7. “What is this weird star shaped outlet in my bedroom?”

I’m from Mexico and I found this weird sort of outlet in my bedroom in my leasing apartment in Michigan in the US. Thanks for help in advance.

• Cable Pass Through. © General_Valuable7499 / Reddit

8. “Got a package of seeds in the mail I did not order. What is this?”

• Depending on where you live you may need to contact Agricultural agencies in your area and tell them you received these in the mail by a Brushing Scam issue is they could be benign plants, or they could be like a massively invasive plant that will destroy your ecosystem or could be poisonous to animals/wildlife. So just google your local government agency and send them the photo. © Empty-Refrigerator / Reddit

9. “What is it?! It reminds me of those portable urinals for women, LOL.”

• Actually it’s a an abs exerciser. © jackrats / Reddit

10. “My neighbor has this in his lawn, high frequency sound comes out of it when I pass it.”

• If it’s pointed to the sidewalk, he’s using it for dogs. Your neighbors are probably not picking up after their dog. © Remote-Willingness86 / Reddit

11. “Found in parents’ bathroom closet.”

• I believe it is a contact lens cleaner. © Zaphod_0707 / Reddit

12. “I received this thing in my US mail box. I have no idea why.”

It looks like a part for a fishing lure, maybe. I have no interest in fishing, so I cannot think of any reason why this was sent to me. I took this photo of the packaging and blurred out my name and address, but I left the phone number since I do not recognize it. The 443 area code is on the east coast and I live on the west coast.

• It’s a scam for the seller, so a fake profile can leave a verified review. There’s nothing you need to do. Enjoy your new lure. © UncleBenji / Reddit

13. “Found while hiking, what is this thing?”

• MCH (3-methlcyclohex-2-en1) bubble, MCH is a pheromone given off by female Douglas-fir bark beetles after laying their eggs that affects the behavior of other beetles by communicating to them that eggs have already been laid on this tree and signals to the other beetles to leave that tree alone. Basically they’re placed there by the Forestry Service to prevent infestations of bark beetles, if you see them, leave them alone. © jharrisimages / Reddit

14. “My fiancé and I found this behind our bed. It felt rubbery and was relatively hard. We cut it open and saw the white stuff come out.”

• It kinda looks like a Magnesium Citrate soft gel pill. © DangerousCaterpillar / Reddit

And here are even more mind-boggling cases where the collective brainpower of the internet answered one simple yet puzzling question: “What’s this thing for?”