What Is It? game 280 - Neatorama

Now it's time for our collaboration with the awesome What Is It? Blog! What is this thing? You don't have to know to win!

Place your guess in the comment section below. One guess per comment, please, though you can enter as many as you'd like. You might know the true answer, but we're going to select two winners who come up with the funniest, most outlandish guesses to win a T-shirt from the NeatoShop. However...

Please write your T-shirt selection alongside your guess. If you don't include a selection, you forfeit the prize, okay? May we suggest the Science T-Shirt, Funny T-Shirt and Artist-Designed T-Shirts?

Check out more pictures of this thing at the What Is It? Blog. Good luck!

Update: the mystery object turned out to be a German Tarantella razor blade sharpener. Read more about it at the What Is It? blog. We had a whole slew of really creative guesses! Among the best, ladybugs said it's "an ocular prosthesis gouger for those too squeemish to remove a glass eye with their fingers." That's good for a t-shirt from the NeatoShop! And Gothixhalo guessed it to be "a viewer for old naughty films from the early 20th century. It helps to keep things private for you to view the old films through it." That sounds like a winner, too! Thanks to everyone who played, and watch for the next edition of the game from Neatorama and the What Is It? blog!

I believe it could be a instrtrument to view photograph images on a angle for film chemical quality

Evolution of Superman XL

Craig Clayton

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I believe it could also be an early turbidity meter where the white papaer is dipped in a solution and the refraction is measured by the 45 degree angle reflection

Look out schroedinger it is a trap

XL

Craig Clayton

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That is the windup key for the clockwork C-3PO model which was popular in the early 1800's. It is rumored that King George III used one as his personal valet.

Donkey Who, Medium, Navy

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It's an ocular prosthesis gouger for those too squeemish to remove a glass eye with their fingers.
Aperture Volunteer, 2X, Black

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I believe this was used as a memory holder by the negotiator in Big O.

Look out Shrodinger It's a trap
XL

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This is the infamous "dohickey" - composed of all the parts you have left over from building pre-fab furniture kits.

"You have a tweet Chuck" in Ladies Medium.

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Alternatively, it's a device for amusing small children with large imaginations - it can become ANYTHING! The key to a magic castle, a super-ray gun, a torture device, a magic wand, etc.

"You have a tweet Chuck" - Ladies medium

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I believe it could also be a early pin hole type of viewing device for looking at an eclipse of the sun.

schroendinger Its a trap XL

Craig Clayton

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Whistleblower spinning clapper! Annoying as F#CK!

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It's a viewer for old naughty films from the early 20th century. It helps to keep things private for you to view the old films through it.

Look out Shrodinger it's a trap

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It's an early version of a can opener. You jam in the rounded piece into the can, then slap the sides of the can with the flat part in order to 'crack open' the can.

Cyber Can XXL

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Oh look - it's the doorhandle for Schroedinger's box! Finally we can let that poor cat out...

(Mother of Dragons, Ladies Fit S, please...)

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It's just a lock set for a door, but it was assembled by a guy who doesn't read directions.

Down with gravity, med.

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an old door handle that broke off

Respect the Chemistry; small

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It's a party favor for an apple peeling party! You skewer the apple on the outer post, then whirl the favor around, while holding on to the handle. As the apple orbits the center post, it peels the apple for you. Everyone stands around with one of these and whirls their apples around. Whoever peels their apple first, wins!

Beakerful of Science XL

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It's called "Newton's Exploiter", a weather manipulation device from the late 17th century. This makes use of (exploits) Newton's first law, "An object remains at rest or at a constant velocity (uniform motion), with respect to an inertial reference frame, unless acted upon by a force." The owner of this device holds the item with the metal extensions facing downward and plunges it into the ground. He or she then grasps the handle and exerts a force either towards the Eastern or Western direction. If the user exerts force towards the Eastern direction, then they will speed up the earth's rotation by a fraction (specifically, the mass of the user divided by the mass of the earth). If the users pushes towards the West, then the earth slows by a similar fraction. By minimally adjusting the rotational speed of the earth, people of that time period were able to change the local weather systems to match their preference. "Newton's Exploiters" fell out of fashion in the early 18th century due to their widespread use cancelling out individual preferences, as well as the fact that novices would misuse the instrument, ruining the enjoyment for everyone else.

Beakerful of Science XL

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R2-D2's grandfather pulls this out of his pocket every time he says "*squeak, *chirp... that's a paddlin'!"
PandaLion S

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This device is what they used to take pap smears in the 1940's. It's name is forgotten, as doctors and patients simply called it: 'that thing.'

T shirt, Green XL 'Trophy Husband'

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Obviously a banana seeder!

Not now chewie size m suggested colour

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I believe it could also hold a small sheet of glass in the brass clamps and a 45 degree light is bounced across it to create a colour or prisim light to determine quality testing of paint or chemical components. Like a photo spectrometer

Schroendingers Cat Its a trap XL
Craig Clayton

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A R2 type Robot call, used by Jawas on Tatooine to lure these whisteling robots in desert, during Robot hunting... Can be seen in the "takout scenes" of the newest releast of Episode IV on Blue-Ray

"run raider run" size M suggested colour

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A 3,5'' discette rewinder... The Blade serves is for keeping the lid open so you can see if you rewound the discette back enough...

Sheep wars II, size m, suggested colour..

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I believe it could also be a early refractor meter to measure sugar content of fruit as it ripens.

Schroendinger It a Trap
Xl

Craig Clayton

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