When People Didn’t Know What They Were Looking At So the Internet Helped Out

By: Kate Row | Published: Nov 04, 2022

We’ve all come across a strange object lying around the house that we just couldn’t explain. Whether it was an unexplainable growth or an old item that had been stowed away for years, things always turn up and manage to surprise us.

Luckily, we have the internet on our side for when we can’t seem to find answers. These people found curious objects and took to the internet for explanations and the internet delivered.

No Privacy Allowed

There is already a bigger gap in public bathroom doors than seems necessary, but this takes lack of privacy to a whole new level. Someone posted this odd bathroom design online and asked for some answers.

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Source: reddit

Apparently, this design was made for the exact purpose of making you uncomfortable. The idea is that the lack of privacy will make you do your business as fast as possible. We must admit it’s probably very effective.

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Floating Terror

We thought this might be an alien when we first saw it, but it is, in fact, earthbound. These little guys actually exist in the waters of Portugal. What’s worse is that they’re incredibly toxic!

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Source: flamingoof

This is  apart of teh Portugese man o’ war which is nicknamed the “floating terror” a.k.a. Not something you want to touch with your bare hands! The internet warned this person that they don’t want to make contact with the creature because a sting can paralyze and potentially kill a person!

2 Flag Holders?

Why would a car need two flag holders or two car antennas? Well, ordinarily it wouldn’t. So, what is the purpose of those two little antennas on the front of this vehicle? They’re not mini light sabers either.

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Source: reddit

These are actually sensor antennas that help to parallel park. The sensors on the hood let you know when the corner of your car is getting close to another car, curb, or any other object. These would be nice to have if you’re a new driver.

A Baby Dragon

Mother nature continues to surprise and on occasion, terrify us with her amazing creatures. Just when you thought you’d seen it all she comes out with a new critter that amazes us. This one in particular is one we could do without.

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Source: reddit

He looks like a mini dragon with those scales. But, this is actually a Sphinx moth caterpillar. This one is a baby and they only look creepier all grown up. They’re commonly referred to as “hawkmoths”.

A Wizard’s Scepter?

This amazing object looks like it has been around for years and seen some amazing eras. We thought it looked like something out of Harry Potter, but its actual use is even more surprising than magic.

Source: reddit

This item is actually a very old table cigar lighter. You put the fuel in the ball at the top and the pointed part goes toward the flame. This kind of starter was used commonly in the 1970s.

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Scary Squids

This is definitely not what this fisherman planned on pulling out of the water on his trip out to see. You might wonder if this critter is even from this planet. Actually, it is!

Source: reddit

This is a crinoid, a close relative of the starfish and sea urchin. I guess you might be able to see where the family resemblance comes in, but they certainly appear to be very distant cousins. Luckily, they’re completely harmless despite their spooky looks.

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Am I Being Haunted?

This person walked out to their parked car to find something stuffed in the door handles. There was some burnt paper with pine needles sticking out of the handle and they had no idea why so they took to the internet for answers.

Source: reddit

Luckily, the internet answered. Apparently, in pagan religions this is actually a gift. The burnt paper and pine needles are thought to ward off evil spirits so a wiccan was just looking out for this person!

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Look Before You Eat

An apple a day keeps the doctor away… unless this creepy little thing is on your apple! This is why we wash our fruits and veggies before we eat them. You don’t want to wind up with some extra protein in your snack.

Source: reddit

That little green cluster is a batch of lacewing eggs. In other words, it’s bug eggs! Yuck. Luckily, this person noticed them before they ate the apple so no harm no foul here. It will make us check our fruit a little more thoroughly in the future, though.

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Yuck!

We couldn’t possibly hazard a guess as to what this item is, but thankfully someone on the internet was able to fill this commenter in on what they discovered near a pond. The answer is shocking.

Source: flamingoff

Apparently, this is the bladder of a fish! This bladder fills and deflates to help fish control their buoyancy in the water. How it ended up outside of the fish is beyond us.

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Tick Tock

This commenter found something on the back of theri clock that surprised them. What could this little switch called the “miracle eye” be for? Surely this magic clock can’t perform miracles.

Source: flamingoof

Actually, the miracle eye switches on and off light sensors which chime every hour during the daylight hours. When turned off, the clock will not chime throughout the night so it won’t wake you up!

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Is That a Sponge?

This might look like a moldy sponge at first glance, or maybe even a piece of coral from the ocean floor. But, this special little treat is neither of those items. In fact, it’s edible if you can believe it.

Source: flamingoof

This commenter had this gifted to them from a friend in China. It’s a red sugar stone which is a common treat there! We can’t imagine what it tastes like.

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Giving Ceiling Fans a New Name

That’s right. This is actually a ceiling fan. This is how air used to be circulated around the dinner table way back when. Obviously, some homes still have them intact today. But, how does it work?

Source: flamingoof

This ancient ceiling fan has to be worked manually. The rope you see attached to it has to be pulled to make the fabric swing back and forth. We’d hate to have this job but at least it’s an arm workout!

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Japanese Pesos

The commenter who found these bills thought they were fake, like Monopoly money. But, as it turns out, these are very real bills.

Source: flamingoof

The Japanese currency is and has been Yen, not pesos. But, when Japan occupied the Philippines during the second World War, they printed pesos. So these bills are as real as the ones in your wallet right now!

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Robots Among Us

These robots have quickly taken over college campuses. At first there were only a few and now they’ve grown in numbers and become incredibly popular. We thought they were taking over the world!

Source: reddit

Not to worry. These are actually food delivery robots. When students order food on campus, their food is delivered right to their doorstep by these helpful little robots.

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This is Getting Out of Hand!

We thought this might be something out of the show Stranger Things because it is certainly scary enough! But, luckily this is just a moth. Last time I checked, moths didn’t look this menacing.

Source: reddit

Those horn-looking structures are scent glands used to attract female moths. I think we were happier when we didn’t know these guys existed!

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Not What You Want to Find in Bed

This is not what you want to find in your bed. Especially because this isn’t just a pile of dirt. Any guesses as to what this could be?

Source: telegrammeyourcorset reddit

A commenter found this pile in a pullout bed in the philippines.He quickly took to the internet to find out that this is some sort of insect poop. Yuck! We assume he didn’t get too much sleep that night.

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How the Times Have Changed

In the not so distant past these little contraptions were perfectly normal and commonplace. Now, most of us probably wouldn’t know what this is used for. These used to be in most bathrooms.

Source: bombug reddit

It’s a palace to rest your cigarette while you use the restroom. It’s hard to imagine people would put their cigarette on any surface in the bathrooms and then put it back in their mouth. No thanks!

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18. Everything in Moderation

This cup is used to teach people moderation. It’s called a Pythagoras cup and it has a special way of making sure you don’t do too heavy of a pour. You might notice the tower in the middle of the cup.

Source: flamingoof

Toward the bottom of the cup is a drain and if you pour enough too much wine the cup will automatically drain the contents, leaving you with nothing! 

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Hitting the Slopes

This commenter was intrigued by the metal tubes that were jutting out of the mountain on their ski route. They almost look like water faucets but they perform a very important purpose.

Source: xelhark reddit

These tubes are used to make controlled avalanches. They use gas combustion to make a controlled environment for these explosions. This helps mitigate the danger of real avalanches.

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What Doesn’t Add Up?

We couldn’t understand what was being asked about this image at first. All the letters of the alphabet are accounted for, so what seems to be the problem with this childrens puzzle? We’re wondering what the animals are for letters “U” and “X”.

Source: mellamoexploradora reddit

The animals are supposed to be ones that start with the corresponding letter and these don’t seem to match their letter. Apparently, the bird representing “X” is called a xeme and the animal representing “U” is a hedgehog, which used to be called an urchin. Mystery solved.

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Baby Socks on the Walls

This person moved to the Dominican Republic and was confused to find baby socks pinned on the walls of almost every room. They were pinned near the ceiling in the rooms of the house and they couldn’t understand why.

Source: givesyouhope reddit

The internet explained to him that this is actually a common practice in the Dominican Republic. It’s a ritual to ward off “duendes” which are essentially gremlins. There are gifts left for the gremlins in the socks so they won’t play pranks on the family.

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A Scientist’s Contraption

This looks like some kind of contraption that you would find in an evil scientist’s laboratory, but this object is of more use in the kitchen than a lab. Most of us probably use a version of this object everyday.

Source: makergonnamake reddit

This is a very fancy pour-over coffee maker. This one was specially made so it’s not wonder it looks like a work of art. Whoever owns this one must be a fan of caffeine.

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Desert Lights

If you’ve ever driven through the desert outside of Las Vegas and noticed these lights, you might have wondered what their purpose is. Are they calling aliens home? Actually, these light serve a purpose for us here on earth.

Source: ganymedeonolympus

The “lights” that you see are actually mirrors which make up a solar farm. The mirrors reflect sunlight onto the panels to get a much higher concentration of light. Who comes up with these things?

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A Hamster's Dream?

We think this object resembles a furry version of a pea pod. If not for the color, we might have thought it was exactly that. You might be surprised to hear this was purchased from the pet store for a hamster.

Source: therealjetboy

This kapok tree pod actually produces a cotton-like fiber which can be used for a variety of different things. Namely, it serves as a great alternative for the cotton bedding used in hamster cages.

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Is This an Ancient Video Game?

A commenter found this very strange device while they were cleaning out their grandparent’s house. Naturally, you’re boud to find some interesting and very old objects when you’re cleaning for grandpa and grandma.

Source: bemacized reddit

It’s actually a home medical device used back in the day to perform electrotherapy. This practice has since been frowned upon because it is quite inhumane. The times keep changing.

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What’s Growing Here?

This person found this monstrous growth  on the side of their window and was naturally concerned. What kind of alien species is growing on his home? Luckily, this is no alien species.

Source: awaresalt reddit

But, it is a nest of another kind. This mason bee nest is the home to some of the greatest pollinators. And they rarely sting! They shape their homes out of mud, which you can see here in those round shapes.

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An Alien Finds a Home in a Can

If I were the one that found this blue guy hanging out in the bottom of a discarded soda can, I probably wouldn’t know if I should reach out to the internet or call 911. I was certain this must be an alien species. 

Source: bryceruthy reddit

This little guy is called a porpita porpita, also known as a “blue button”. They are similar to jellyfish in terms of their looks but they are not related. They spend their days floating around eating plankton. They can sting but the irritation is very minimal. Mostly, they just mind their business, but they are awfully cool looking!

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Be Careful With This One

If we had a million guesses we don’t think we could have guessed what this object was. It looks like another one of those objects you find lying around your grandparent’s house.

Source: lycian-sarpedon reddit

This commenter was given this object by a Canadian neighbor which he claims is more than 60 years old. It’s an ancient (and awesome) stapler! We hope he can figure out how to work it without sending a staple through his finger.

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Nosy Neighbors

This certainly bears a resemblance to one of those jars in the crazy scientist’s lab in all of those horror movies. But luckily, this object is much less sinister. Although it looks very creepy!

Source: adund-d reddit

It’s an orange juice that should have been refrigerated but instead sat on a  shelf in a dark cupboard. That creepy-looking thing inside the jar is a living culture of bacteria and yeast. Ew! We sure hope no one took a sip of this O.J.

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