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Hooray! It’s time for our collaboration with the always awesome What Is It? Blog – can you guess what the scary object to the left is used for?
As usual, the first person who guesses correctly as well as the submitter of the funniest yet ultimately incorrect guess will get T-shirts of their choice from the NeatoShop. Science T-shirts? Funny T-shirts? We got ‘em!
Place your guess in the comment section. One guess per comment, please. You can enter as many guesses as you can think of. Please write no web links or URLs – doing so will invalidate your entry. IMPORTANT: Please write down your choice of T-shirt from the NeatoShop along with your guess.
You have until the answer is revealed at the What is it? Blog tomorrow. For more clues, definitely check out the What is it? Blog. Good luck!
Update 4/11/10 – The answer is:a lightning rod. Congrats to Lucas who got it right first, and Tim C for kraken prod (I’m kind of a softie for krakens)
Sea urchins don’t technically have eyes, but they can "see," according to Sonke Johnsen of Duke University:
The spiky body of a sea urchin acts as one big, spine-covered eye, confirms a new study that tested how well urchins can see.
Sea urchins, like their close relatives the sea stars (starfish), don’t technically have eyes. Instead, the ball-like invertebrates detect light striking their spines and compare the beams intensities to get a sense of their surroundings.
Well, whaddyaknow, it’s time for our weekly collaboaration with the always awesome What is it? Blog. Today’s mystery item is shown to the left: can you guess what it is used for?
Place your guess in the comment section. One guess per comment, please. You can enter as many as you’d like. Let others play, so post no URL or web links – doing so will forfeit your entry.
Two prizes as usual: a free T-shirt from the Neatorama Shop for the first person who guessed right and for the funniest albeit incorrect guess. You have until the correct answer is revealed at the What is it? Blog.
For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog. Good luck!
Update 2/5/10 – The answer is: A probe from a policeman’s Taser. Congratulations to chameloon who guessed right first and to pismonque who guessed “A sea monkey’s harpoon, used when they go shrimpin’.“
Everyone knows classic movie moments, such as the scene in Taxi Driver where Travis Bickle looks into the mirror and asks, “You talkin’ to me?” but did you know that one, and quite a few more of your favorite movie moments were improvised? Marc Russel has put together a list of classic movie moments that were not in the scripts.
Scriptwriting isn’t easy. Some people spend months trying to perfect a specific scene, trying to write that perfect line that sticks in the mind of those who hear it. Then these guys come along and do it off the top of their heads.
From the Upcoming 
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Yes, this week’s collaboration with the always awesome What is it? Blog brings us … a spike – but can you guess its specific purpose? (hint: it has a VERY specific purpose)
Place your guess in the comment section – no prize this week, so you’re playing for fame and glory. Please post no URL – let others play. For more clues, check out the What is it? Blog.
Good luck!
Update 8/22/09 – it’s a device to disable cannons:
Since the head of this tool can pivot, it can’t be used as a hammer or pick. The owner of it had a Civil War book that described it as a cannon tool, he said that it was used by soldiers to disable enemy cannons or their own if they had to retreat. The spike was placed in the ignition hole and hammered until the cannon cracked or until the hole was large enough that the cannon was no longer usable.
I’ve since been informed that:
The phrase “to spike a cannon” meant to disable it by driving a tapered wrought iron plug, or spike, down the touch hole with a hammer until it was level and firmly embedded. I suppose the spike could eventually be drilled out, but tools to do this were not readily available, and the process would take some time.
Seems that nobody got it this time around!
