Finds that people couldn’t figure out on their own, so they asked online experts for help (27 photos)

We regularly come across things that we cannot immediately identify. All these incomprehensible things excite the imagination and torment you with doubts, but here, as always, experts from the network come to the rescue, who easily and quickly solve all the riddles.





1. Question: “What is this ice phenomenon that I discovered in the forest today?”



Answer: “These are frosty flowers, their appearance is associated with the freezing of moisture coming out of the plants.”

So-called frost flowers can form when the air temperature drops below zero and the soil is not yet frozen. Because of this, the moisture inside the plants is drawn out and freezes into thin ice ribbons. After such a phenomenon, the plant usually dies.

2. Question: “What is that strangely burnt log I found at the campsite?”





Answer: “This is a “Swedish torch”, it burns longer than wood in a fire.”



A Swedish torch is made by longitudinally cutting the top of a log into several parts almost to the base, then pouring a little flammable liquid inside, letting it soak in, and then setting it on fire. The version shown in the photo even has an air duct.

3. Question: “Found this hard plastic object in the kitchen drawer. Car keychain for scale"



Answer: “This is a wine stopper from the Rabbit company. The kit also includes a nozzle"



4. Question: “What are these lights that seem to be burning behind the mirror of the hotel where I am staying?”



Answer: "It was supposed to be an 'infinity mirror.' The infinity effect is achieved by placing a one-way mirror in front of a regular mirror and placing a light source between them.”

5. Question: “I found this at a thrift store, but I have no idea what it is. These are ceramic cylinders about 15 cm high. They are glazed on the outside and unglazed on the inside. The word “healthy” is embossed on the base.”



Answer: “This is a vertical chicken roaster. It is better to use it together with a tray so that the fat flows into it and not into the pan.



6. Question: “What are these little porcelain angels/cherubs with rings in their hands? Found them in an old box of Christmas decorations, but I've never seen them before."



Answer: “This is a decoration that is placed on conical candles.”

7. Question: “What is this loop at the ends of both sleeves of my jacket? Who will hang the jacket by the sleeves? What are they for?



Answer: “This fleece is the part of the jacket that goes over it. The loops of the jacket are attached to the sleeves of the jacket from the inside so that the fleece sleeves do not pull out of the jacket when you take it off.”

8. Question: “I bought a new shirt. This small bag was attached to a tag. What is it for?"



Answer: “This is for the shirt collar. You put plastic things in the collar and they stiffen it."



9. Question: “What is this leather thing they sent me in a subscription box? We can’t figure out what it is!”



Answer: “This is a leather bookmark that clings to the corner of the page.”



10. Question: “Found in the river of Manchester, UK (there is a number written in white paint). There appears to be a light bulb inside, but there is no electrical mechanism, the knob on top pushes and turns, and then releases with a loud click."



Answer: “This is an Eveready bicycle light. These could be seen on bicycles and cars during World War II. The battery fits inside, and the shape of the light allows the light to be directed directly in front of the vehicle, rather than at the side of the road.”

Photo Credit: UPDATE: I contacted the museum upstream and it appears that this lantern, along with four other items from a similar era, was lost 3 weeks ago after a box containing the items was stolen. They were incredibly grateful as they thought they had lost them forever. Thanks to one of the users who suggested that the white paint was probably a museum catalog number!”

11. Question: “What is the purpose of this strangely shaped silver spoon?”



Answer: “This is a spoon for a teapot. A short-handled spoon was used to measure tea from the box in which it was stored into the teapot. They were primarily in use from the late 1700s to the mid-Victorian period, although references to their use date back to the early 1900s."



12. Question: “My client just found this in her basement and we are completely confused.”



Answer: “This is a device for separating corn kernels from the cob. Yours also collects grains in a transparent container."



13. Question: “Built-in wooden shelf/cabinet in our new house”



Answer: “This is a place for a landline phone. There is a jump seat because it was most likely the only phone in the house and it was in the hallway where there are usually no chairs. The bottom shelf had slots for the phone book and other records. There was a telephone on the top shelf. The hole just above the top shelf on the left side is where the cord came through the wall."



14. Question: “I found this among my grandfather’s tools. The metal tip rotates and extends a little, but I can't separate it from the wooden body."



Answer: “This is a bird decoy. By rubbing the metal part against the wooden handle, it makes a chirping sound, thereby attracting birds."



15. Question: “Old melted coins or poker chips? I inherited this strange stack of coins from my great-grandfather. The structure resembles quartz, the entire stack weighs 8 grams, each coin is about the diameter of a dime, but twice as thick."



Answer: “These are fossilized petals of crinoids, an ancient form of marine life called crinoids.”

16. Question: “An unglazed ceramic piece purchased in a set of 2 pieces. Dimensions: 24 cm long, 9 cm wide and 6 cm deep"



Answer: “This is a ceramic air humidifier into which water is poured, after which it is hung on a heater/battery.”