# Mystery geode thingie **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 17, 1999, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-geode-thingie/3288 "1999-09-17T19:08:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Inky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d78d45/32.png) [@Inky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 1999, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-geode-thingie/3288/1 "1999-09-17T19:08:00Z")
Years ago on some show on the paranormal (probably “In Search Of” ) I saw a feature on a mysterous metal object resembling a electronic capaciter found embedded in an ancient geode (a crystally rock thing). They showed x-rays of it and it really did look like it might be something man-made. Anybody heard of this thing? Surprisingly I can’t find anything about it on the web. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 1999, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-geode-thingie/3288/2 "1999-09-17T20:36:00Z")
Have you checked the hoax sites? ---
**Author:** ![falcon2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dbc845/32.png) [@falcon2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/falcon2)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 1999, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-geode-thingie/3288/3 "1999-09-17T21:16:00Z")
Maybe your thinking of the Bagdad Battery. Its apperntly its a battery mad from a clay pot, that predates any use for electricity by thousands of years. Cant find a good link at the mo. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 1999, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-geode-thingie/3288/4 "1999-09-17T21:48:00Z")
Try this: [http://www.eprf.tzo.com/html/spark\_plug.html](http://www.eprf.tzo.com/html/spark_plug.html) ## Its got pictures and everything. However, it does seem to be confused as to whether it is a geode or a concretion. These two things form differently; a concretion can form around a “seed” in less than ten years if the conditions are right. The “half-million-year-old” fossil shells are also problematical, freshwater molluscs have not changed all that much in only 500 thousand years. Dr. Fidelius, Charlatan Associate Curator Anomalous Paleontology, Miskatonic University Homo vult decipi; decipiatur (fixed url tags - Nick) [Note: This message has been edited by Nickrz] ---
**Author:** ![Stephen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Stephen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephen)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 1999, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-geode-thingie/3288/5 "1999-09-17T21:58:00Z")
I would be extremely suspicious of a site that passes artists renderings as “X-rays”. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 1999, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-geode-thingie/3288/6 "1999-09-18T01:09:00Z")
Here’s an address for you. He discusses the spark plug and other oddities. [http://www.strangemag.com/erraticenigmatics.html](http://www.strangemag.com/erraticenigmatics.html) It does mention the sparkplug near the bottom of the page. ---
**Author:** ![falcon2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dbc845/32.png) [@falcon2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/falcon2)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 1999, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-geode-thingie/3288/7 "1999-09-18T06:27:00Z")
Ok. Now that I have layed eyes upon what currently pass for “the truth” I beleive it even less. They could have atleast tried to make up some science mumbo jumbo details to attempt to prop the story up a bit. But as it stands, it looks like something out of “the weekly world news”.