r/whatisthisthing Users Identify 41 Mystery Objects From Sewer Gear to 15-Foot Bird Tower
Updated
Updated · BuzzFeed · May 14
r/whatisthisthing Users Identify 41 Mystery Objects From Sewer Gear to 15-Foot Bird Tower
2 articles · Updated · BuzzFeed · May 14
41 recent mystery finds on Reddit’s r/whatisthisthing were identified by users, turning obscure household, yard-sale and outdoor objects into named tools, toys and industrial parts.
Several of the clearest solves tied directly to everyday problems: a white plastic piece in a toilet drain was identified as a sewer-camera centering device, while a spring-loaded rod found inside a candle was flagged as possible factory machinery debris.
Other answers ranged widely across uses and eras, including a mill ball, a personal safety alarm, hookah tongs, a right-angle screwdriver attachment part and magnetic vases hidden under tablecloths.
Larger or more unusual objects also got explanations, such as a 15-foot park structure for endangered chimney swifts, a feed grinder in Oregon and metal chunks by train tracks left by rail-grinding machines.
The roundup underscores the subreddit’s role as a crowdsourced identification forum, where niche expertise quickly turns anonymous objects into practical or historical finds.
How is the internet helping uncover the lost stories behind forgotten historical artifacts found in the wild?
From candles to sewers, how can we spot hidden industrial defects before they become household dangers?
As AI gets better at identifying images, can it ever replace the human expertise of online communities?