What is this thing: the strangest finds (16 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. “A rather heavy object that looks like a hook. What is this for?” 
Answer: "This is a railway rail lift"
2. "A long, thick rope with a metal end that looks like it's supposed to spin? What is it?" 
Answer: “This is a laglin - a device that is thrown over the side of a ship to determine the speed of its movement.”
3. "A strange spoon with holes and a sharp side. What is this for?" 
Answer: “Apparently, it is designed for sifting sugar, which is broken off from a large piece with the sharp side.”
4. "What is that round brown fuzzy thing found on a beach in Spain?" 
Answer: “These are the balls of Neptune - the water gradually forms such rounded clusters from dead algae, after which they are thrown ashore.”
5. "A steel hook tied to a wooden handle. What is this for?" 
Answer: “Very similar to a short fishing hook.”
6. "A rusty metal ball in the middle of the Icelandic Reykjanes Peninsula. What is it there for?" 
Answer: "This is an old sea mine that is being used as a memorial."
7. “What are these chips? Different colors in round dishes. What are they for?” 
Answer: "This is part of the old French card game Le Nain Jaune. The complete set looks like this:"
8. "What is this small metal tool with teeth of the same size?" 
Answer: “These are needles for determining the purity of gold.”
9. "What are these holes in the stones for? They are located at the entrance to the Roman amphitheater" 
Answer: “Apparently, they were intended for wooden poles, which may have been additional support during construction.”
10. "What is this strange thing?" 
Answer: “This device could be found on a clerk’s desk more than a century ago. With its help, as a rule, the tips of pens were cleaned of ink residues.”
11. “What is this orange thing? I saw it in an old English house, which is decorated like the beginning of the 20th century.” 
Answer: "This is a very early electric heater"
12. "Looks like a small wooden ladder with a curved blade at the end. What is such a thing for?" 
Answer: “These are used so that you can easily climb onto a hay or cotton stack.”
13. "A small vintage or antique metal figurine of a cat that can be opened. Why is this needed?" 
Answer: “It’s not an antique, they’re still sold today. They’re bought in memory of a Siamese cat that was once in the family, and used to store all sorts of trinkets that can fit inside.”
14. "I found this thing in my laboratory. What is it?" 
Answer: "This is very similar to part of the Van Slyke apparatus, it is designed to study blood gases for medical purposes."
15. "A spherical container with a valve and pipes inside. What is it and what is it for? There is only some abandoned quarry nearby" 
Answer: "This is equipment for collecting biogas"
