# Anyone know what this thing is?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-this-thing-is/557585>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [October 18, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-this-thing-is/557585 "2010-10-18T19:05:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-this-thing-is/557585/1 "2010-10-18T19:05:02Z")

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It was left in the bin at work.

[![](https://notails.com/thing.jpg) ](https://notails.com/thing.jpg)

Probably something totally uninteresting - part of a toilet. Part of a cistern. Something hospital related.

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**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-this-thing-is/557585/2 "2010-10-18T19:06:25Z")

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What _is_ that thing?

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**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-this-thing-is/557585/3 "2010-10-18T19:12:31Z")

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I went and looked again at the label. Found a company name. Googled it. I’ll spoiler this in case anyone still wants to make a guess.

Part of a dehumidifier. Googled ‘Ebac Ltd, Newton Aycliffe’

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**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-this-thing-is/557585/4 "2010-10-18T21:55:09Z")

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> [@Musicat](#):
>
> What _is_ that thing?

That’s a…um. Uh. \* squints \* What in the hell _is_ that?

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-this-thing-is/557585/5 "2010-10-18T22:26:33Z")

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I don’t know what it is, but I like the wood behind it.

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**Author:** ![CWN](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc79bd/32.png) [@CWN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CWN)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-this-thing-is/557585/6 "2010-10-18T22:48:51Z")

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> [@Lobsang](#):
>
> It was left in the bin at work.
> 
> [notails.com - photography - Isle of Man](http://notails.com/thing.jpg)
> 
> Probably something totally uninteresting - part of a toilet. Part of a cistern. Something hospital related.

Well, obviously it’s a homemade artificial heart. You can plainly see the intake and return flexible hosing with the blue overflow reservoir. The white doohickey contains 2 AAA batteries and a small fish tank pump

Signed  
Cliff Clavin

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**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-this-thing-is/557585/7 "2010-10-18T23:12:54Z")

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It’s for blood transfusions. Some at your work is doping.

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**Author:** ![Carnacki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Carnacki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnacki)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-what-this-thing-is/557585/8 "2010-10-19T05:14:06Z")

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> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#):
>
> That’s a…um. Uh. \* squints \* What in the hell _is_ that?

What’s that danged thing doing here?