1. “My husband and I heard a big crash at 5 a.m., like something had fallen off the roof. He found this feathery mass on the ground just now.”
Answer: “Ok, showed this to my wife (ornithologist and zookeeper of 15+ years). The inside very likely has fly eggs on it and the feathers are likely from a duck (down in the cut away section gives it away). But she has never seen a feathered mass grown off of a bird like this. So possible tumor that got pinched off the main body?”
2. “What is this metal bowl-shaped thing with a hollow handle/spout?”
Answer: “Part of a cream separator.”
3. “What is this padded satin item with ribbon ties and a hole in the middle? Appears possibly handmade, like a case for a beauty item.”
Answer: “It looks like it might go on top of a hanger (which is why there’s a hole in the middle). This would turn something like a smooth wooden hanger into one of those hangers with a satin finish/top to prevent light items like slips or lingerie from slipping off the hanger. The ties would be to secure it to the hanger, perhaps. Just a guess though!”
4. “Small plastic object. Has a cap that covers 2 small nubs on top.”
Answer: “I was over here assuming it was for 2 part epoxy.”
5. “Found this on the beach. It’s less than a foot long and seems to be a string with a bunch of little discs strung on it?”
Answer: “Those are whelk egg cases!”
6. “Belt contraption attached to the rear wheel of a Chevy Bolt”
Answer: “It looks like some homegrown charging system.”
7. “Black liquid that appears to have dripped from the ceiling, right underneath a light.”
Answer: “Bad ballast, they are potted with that goo.”
8. “Hollow small glass object with a weird opening. What is it?”
Answer: Glass vase/flower holder.
9. “20 years of research and Reddit is my last hope!”
Answer: “Inside the mouth of a Freshwater Drum.”
10. “I found it in a forest in Sweden, about 1 m from the ground, roughly 20 cm in size. Hard to the touch, but drips liquid when knocked.”
Answer: “Looks like a polypore fungus that is exuding excess moisture, called guttation.”
11. “I got a bag containing 6 of these from China. I have no idea why! What are they?”
Answer: Rose of Jericho (Resurrection Plant, Dinosaur Plant, Jericho Rose)
12. “Husband’s truck exploded, this came out.”
Answer: “It’s the inside bits, the catalyst, of a catalytic converter.”
13. “What is this big hole that is usually found on milk cartons?”
Answer: “This is actually a measure to keep the milk contained if it’s suddenly dropped, or frozen. Makes the cap pop out if so.”
14. “These lead blocks were found in a UK river. 125 g each. Can anyone positively identify them?”
Answer: “They are reminiscent of the Kuberakolam.”
15. “The hole gets smaller when I squeeze it. Found in the kitchen at my parents’ house. What do I use it for?”
Answer: “It’s to strip corn on the cob.”
16. “What is this bubbling out of the ground in my yard? Purplish metallic gooey inside.”
Answer: “Carpenter here, that looks all the world to me like expanding foam. The manufacturers like to color them for brand recognition or purpose identification. All the signs are there. The even coloration, the outer skin that formed, and the familiar random expansion pattern.”
