What is it? Game 86

By Alex in What Is It on Jan 1, 2009 at 6:43 am

W00t! It’s time for our collaboration with What is it? Blog. This week’s mysterious object is pictured to the left: can you guess what it is for?

Place your guess in the comment section. One guess per comment, please, but you can enter as many as you can think of. Post no URLs, let others play. The first person who guesses right (or gives the funniest guess, if no one gets it right) wins a Free Neatorama T-Shirt.

For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog. Good luck!

Update 1/2/09 – here’s the answer: A BLU-26/B ball-type submunition of a cluster bomb, this inert practice piece has aerodynamic vanes and is made of solid metal, it’s also called a Guava Bomblet.

Congratulations to JKirchartz who got it right! And a big thank you and a free T-shirt to Coyote who corrected the missing picture error!


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  1. sagetress
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 6:52 am

    where’s the pic?

  2. Vlad
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 8:07 am

    Is it the all elusive white whole?

  3. Evilbeagle
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 8:27 am

    Hmmm, the picture is not a picture. There is nothing there, so I will venture this guess: The inside of Paris Hilton’s skull.

  4. Lew A
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 8:28 am

    Pirdiest shade of white I’ve ever seen…

  5. WrapAroundSam
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 8:33 am

    “Nothing” comes to mind!!=)

  6. KIT CLOUD
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 8:52 am

    Polar bear in a snow storm.

  7. Stever
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 8:52 am

    Uh, a polar bear in an arctic blizzard?

  8. Stever
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 8:55 am

    Get out of my head, Kit. :)

  9. That Queer Chick
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 9:35 am

    Wow, how meta! The picture is a representation of my mind while I try to guess what’s in the picture, i.e. a complete blank.

  10. Cheezwiz
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 10:24 am

    It’s what I ended up with when I tried to make a website.

  11. liphttam1
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 10:31 am

    Visual representation of a slow internet connection.

  12. liphttam1
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 10:32 am

    What I fear most whilst searching the web.

  13. liphttam1
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 10:33 am

    A ninja who forgot to take the price tag off of his blanket of concealment.

  14. liphttam1
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 10:34 am

    square with a smaller square in it with a red X inside.

  15. liphttam1
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 10:34 am

    The funniest fail ive ever seen.

  16. liphttam1
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 10:36 am

    Tagged polar bear in a blizard.

  17. Coyote
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 10:38 am

    It’s called a typo in the hyper link. What do I win? :P
    here’s the actual picture;
    http://neatorama.cachefly.net/images/2008-12/what-is-it-game-86.jpg

  18. liphttam1
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 10:38 am

    My t-shirt before its neatoramafied. Oh yes I wen’t there. Whatchya gonna do about it?!?

  19. liphttam1
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 10:41 am

    Darn you coyote! Why did you have to go into the picture properties?!

  20. liphttam1
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 10:45 am

    Wet paint.

  21. liphttam1
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 10:47 am

    A waste of space.

  22. Cheezwiz
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 11:04 am

    Based on the link that Coyote posted up, it’s a ball that was used by prehistoric people who wanted to leave perfect fake footprints.

  23. Miss Cellania
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 11:58 am

    OK, I took the liberty of fixing it. Alex is on Pacific time, and he might have celebrated last night.

    Or something.

    I can tell right away that this is an instrument of torture.

  24. kitsana_d
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 12:13 pm

    it’s from Metroid, i believe it’s the screw attack.

  25. JKirchartz
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 12:25 pm

    Definately one of the smaller bombs inside of a cluster bomb. These really look like toys often, so sometimes kids pick them up and activate them well after the initial cluster bombing…

  26. davedavedavedave
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 12:47 pm

    it’s a rubbery dog toy.

  27. slacker
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 1:16 pm

    urm..it’s a float for the toilet flush thingy?

  28. Lauren
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 1:20 pm

    The pivot ball for the very first Dyson prototype.

  29. viper5552
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 1:22 pm

    i believe that this is a single directional ball-bearing

  30. Alex
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 1:22 pm

    (embarrassed laugh) Erhm, what a good way to ring in the New Year, eh, folks?

    Thanks to Coyote who diagnosed the problem and Miss C who fixed the post!

  31. Brian Lutz
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 1:28 pm

    It’s a 3D representation for the logo of every late Nineties dot-com startup that failed to make it past 2000.

  32. Bruno
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 1:34 pm

    It’s a rubber pump impeller.

  33. Nathan Miller
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 1:35 pm

    I’m hoping it’s some form of 1900s-patented orange peeler that never took off.

    Oh how I wish we had a mechanical orange peeler of some form.

  34. Dave Hall
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 1:38 pm

    It is a Guava Bomblet. They were made of thousands of amall steel balls cast into a metal matrix. the little fins helped ompart a spin as they were ‘dispensed’ from their bonb casing. Upon impact they would shatter spreading a nasty spray like buckshot at whomever or whatever was in its way.
    The blue paint indicates it was part of an inert training bomb.

  35. Dave Hall
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 1:53 pm

    small steel balls. . .impart a spin . . .bomb casing . .

    Curse you “PNYHD” Post-New Years Hangover Disorder!

  36. killatron
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 2:05 pm

    It’s a Bomb Live Unit (BLU) more commonly known as a submunition. Without measurements you really can’t guess which one it is but I’ll say BLU-26 (Practice/Inert)

  37. obsessivetwilightfansbro
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 2:13 pm

    Well, DUH! It’s obviously a hat that you put on, and then you spin around really fast, and then you put your head against the wall, and you drill through it! Also works with low ceilings.

  38. Claire o brien
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 3:02 pm

    DRYER BALL

  39. JDM
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 4:04 pm

    It’s Optimus Prime’s left testicle… or maybe it’s right one… who knows…

  40. mattymoo
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 4:13 pm

    Its a cluster bomblet…..nasty little bastards.

  41. lucky
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 5:02 pm

    could it be an old fashioned fancy button?

  42. George
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 5:52 pm

    Something very evil and sinister for sure.

  43. Dim67
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 6:15 pm

    I think it is used inside a large tumbler machine of sorts to crush or smash something. Sorry I cant be more specific, this was the first thing that came to mind.

  44. Dim67
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 6:16 pm

    Hmm ok, just googled it, its a cluster bomblet.

  45. ted
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 7:41 pm

    Looks like a mold for a bowling ball. The four swirly things connect to the holes.

    Okay, I made that up, but it *is* original.

  46. Thebes
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 7:45 pm

    An impeller for a hydraulic pump.

  47. Buzz
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 8:32 pm

    It is a screw/bolt pan.

  48. whitcwa
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 9:30 pm

    Now that I know what it is, what should I do with the one I brought home last summer?

  49. Mudpuppy
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 9:51 pm

    cluster bomb

  50. XuYu
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 10:03 pm

    Security bolt? (twist it on, but can’t twist it off)

  51. Napkins
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 10:17 pm

    Bocci Ball/ Lawn Bowling Ball

  52. woweewow
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 11:10 pm

    obviously it’s a ball bearing for the much-loved tilt-a-whirl

  53. marcusbacus
    Jan 1st, 2009 at 11:52 pm

    I have no clue of what it is – but it WAS a broken link.

  54. woweewow
    Jan 2nd, 2009 at 12:30 am

    it’s a screwball

  55. texaskid
    Jan 2nd, 2009 at 12:50 am

    Looks like a cluster bomb…blu 42 or some such!

  56. POTATOMASTER
    Jan 2nd, 2009 at 3:28 am

    its a cat.

  57. Chris W
    Jan 2nd, 2009 at 4:36 am

    Is it a gas pipeline cleaner? known as a pig or something?

  58. fastdart
    Jan 2nd, 2009 at 9:45 am

    cluster bomb.

  59. mobius
    Jan 2nd, 2009 at 10:21 am

    its a drill bit

  60. MichaelDTY
    Jan 2nd, 2009 at 10:44 am

    It’s the new Bakugan thing all the kids are raving about

  61. eoghan
    Jan 2nd, 2009 at 11:08 am

    Its a shotput ball.The small fins allow it to be propelled further.Its illegal in nine countries as its made of metal infused with heroin.true.

  62. Gail Pink
    Jan 2nd, 2009 at 11:16 am

    Potatomaster has the best guess! Haha!

  63. Brainybrandon
    Jan 2nd, 2009 at 1:16 pm

    Looks like a demolition ball to me. As viewed from underneath.

  64. fishrubbergreen
    Jan 2nd, 2009 at 2:21 pm

    hand grenade i think. i have a dead one sitting on my bookshelf…

  65. Colt Seaver
    Jan 2nd, 2009 at 2:34 pm

    I’ll guess a BLU-61, big brother to the BLU-26, just to cover all the bases.

  66. Clayton
    Jan 3rd, 2009 at 10:44 am

    As said, it’s a cluster munition. If I remember correctly, the “fins” are called flutes. Given that each bomblet is self contained and not wired to the main device, the flutes serve to arm the bomblet via centripetal force. After the bomblets are ejected the flutes cause the bomblets to spin.


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