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These Everyday Things Were Useless Until The Internet Solved Them

Monica February 9, 2023

19th Century Inkwells

This item is very old and outdated. Even our grandparents might not know what function it serves. It looks like something that belongs in a museum or is sold at an antique shop. It’s a double inkwell that was used in the 19th century.

Considering none of us grew up in the 19th century, it makes sense why this object remained a mystery. The well is used to wash your pen after using it to write so the ink doesn’t clog the tip. You could also use this for two different colors of ink by putting one color in each of the wells (via Everyday Monkey).

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Is This A Fossil?

This could be a fossil, a piece of wood, or a piece of stone. We have no idea if it’s an ancient animal that’s petrified or something found in a forest. This Reddit user would have lived the rest of their life wondering about this mystery if it wasn’t for the internet.

Thanks to an archeologist from the internet, they concluded it was an elephant tooth. Because it has no mineralization, it’s supposedly from an elephant. The original poster found it next to their grandfather’s collection he had when he was a geologist (via Pjones2127)

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Digging Up The Dead

This is a creepy discovery. Imagine finding a coffin on your friend’s farm. They might believe they were living on top of a graveyard, or there was a horrible crime committed on their property. They decided to keep it closed before they knew what it was, which was probably a smart move.

But it turns out it’s a septic tank. That’s not as creepy as a coffin. If the original poster kept digging, they would have found a pipe on either side. These tanks were usually buried between one and three feet below the ground (via Everyday Monkey).

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The Chest Of Drawers

This dresser looks like the gateway into Narnia. It doesn’t have any sides, and there’s an open space near the front of the drawer. It’s not your typical dresser for clothes, it’s an artist’s cabinet.

Thanks to the people of the internet, they quickly solved the dresser mystery and learned they need to be careful not to damage the artwork (via Everyday Monkey).

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Strange Pink Plastic Things

If you didn’t grow up in the ’80s, you’re probably wondering what these pink plastic things are. They look like they’re odd decorative pieces, used for cooking, or a dog toy.

But they’re none of those things, and thanks to the folks of the internet, the original poster learned they’re hair rollers. How strange! It’s obvious they never curled their hair or touched a hair roller, and probably never will. The mystery is solved (via isinaltinkaya).

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Spiderman’s Alter Ego

Spiders are terrifying, even if they look fake. Imagine if it was the middle of the night, and you saw this terrifying spider-shaped thing in your fence. No thanks! It’s better to believe it’s Spider-man’s alter ego, and he’s just hiding away in the fence, waiting to save the day. But thanks to the internet, it turns out this is an electrostatic animal guard.

When an animal touches the prongs, it gets a zap. This is similar to an electric fence or collar that prevents your dog from escaping. Let’s hope the original poster stayed far away from it. It’s likely they did, considering it looks like the shell of a terrifying spider (via Everyday Monkey).

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Sleeping In Public

At first glance, this looks like a public art display. Most people wouldn’t give it a second glance, especially if it’s something they see every single day. But upon closer inspection, the original poster saw hooks inside. What could it be for? They asked about the internet, I told them it’s used for sleeping.

People can come to the park with their hammocks, set them up, and have a snooze. This park has its people in mind! It’s not something you usually see, but it’s something we hope to see more of (via Everyday Monkey).

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Strange Household Items

This household item looks strange, and it’s hard to tell if it has a purpose or not. It could be an abstract piece of art or something used for cooking. Either way, this person asked the internet what its purpose is.

It turns out it’s mid-century modern artwork, and nothing else. It doesn’t have a specific function, unfortunately. We were hoping for something more strange (via DoctorSugarPuss)

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Southeast Pennsylvania’s Biggest Mystery

This user discovered these strange yellow mesh objects on most of the telephone poles in Southeast Pennsylvania. They were confused because they couldn’t figure out their purpose. After noticing it on one telephone pole, they started noticing them on all of the telephone poles.

Without wanting to waste another second and suffer in the unknown, they took to the internet and asked what these grids are. It turns out they’re called grid reflectors and is used to help motorists avoid utility poles. Safety is number one (via Everyday Monkey).

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Southeast Wisconsin’s Biggest Grid Mystery

We saw Southeast Pennsylvania’s biggest mystery, and now we’re seeing Southeast Wisconsin’s biggest grid mystery. The original poster found this grid in an old school house basement from 1915. It could have been a multitude of things, but it turns out it’s an old heating system.

Those old systems had a wood stove in the basement with wooden vents, to help the heat passively rise. Churches in the area likely had the same structures (via Timmy_The_Tiger_55).

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Military Camp Discoveries

These weird-looking ropes were found in the woods in the Netherlands, near a military camp. It looks like a strange weapon or a toy. If we found these, we’d make a run for it. Who knows what else they’d find?

It has nine beads on the bottom and four on top. Thanks to the internet, though, they discovered they’re ranger beads. People use them to count distances at a known pace. That’s a lot more comforting than a weapon (via Everyday Monkey).

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The Sudden Appearance Of A Large Structure

After repaving a road, this large structure was plopped in the middle of it. It looks like a hidden bunker or an office. Or something benign, like an operating room for street traffic lights. W

ith little information to go off of, it was hard for the users of the internet to decide what this was used for. It turns out it’s used for stormwater retention to help relieve the sewers (via Everyday Monkey).

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