# What is this object? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 9, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962 "2003-02-09T23:02:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962/1 "2003-02-09T23:02:49Z")
I found this object in a parking lot of a university, I was interested in it so I picked it up and put it in my car. Later to my suprise I found it is magnetic. Here’s the best discription I can give: Dull silver metalic sphere, apx 1 + 1/8 inch in diameter. Has 12 raised ‘bumps’ , each bump is an additional 1/8 inch above the surface, cone shaped with a blunted top. These bumps are fairly evenly spaced, I don’t know it’s the ‘best’ way to arange them, but it’s in a pattern that tries to space the bumps out evenly over the surface of the sphere. The magnetic polls are aligned so N and S each fall between 4 of the bumps. The only other distinguishing marks seem to be from manufacture. A small circle is indented in the sphere where one of the poles is, the circle is about 3/16 in diameter (think of the Earth’s N pole icecap ringing a circle on the globe). There is an equator circle also, and the other pole has a 3rd circle that is maybe 1/2 and inch in diameter and goes through 4 bumps. What is this thing? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962/2 "2003-02-09T23:30:17Z")
I think it may be part of a magnetic construction toy. ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962/3 "2003-02-09T23:46:57Z")
It’s the mothership. We’ve been looking for that. Give it back or I shall be forced to vaporize you. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962/4 "2003-02-09T23:51:29Z")
It’s a very small anti-ship mine. Haven’t you ever seen _Sea Hunt_? ---
**Author:** ![CuriousCanuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@CuriousCanuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CuriousCanuck)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962/5 "2003-02-10T00:54:24Z")
It’s a reverse golf ball with the dimples facing out. The reason it is magnetic is so that it sticks to the irons instead of flying far away. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962/6 "2003-02-10T00:58:03Z")
I’d say it’s a magnet. Nothing else special. There are a lot of weird shaped magnets out there so they can do what they have to do, whatever it is that they do. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962/7 "2003-02-10T02:27:10Z")
> [@](#): > > I think it may be part of a magnetic construction toy. Perhaps but I don’t see how the toy would use this part. > [@](#): > > It’s the mothership. We’ve been looking for that. Give it back or I shall be forced to vaporize you. Kinda sucks when you forget where you parked 😛 > [@](#): > > It’s a very small anti-ship mine. Haven’t you ever seen Sea Hunt? That’s what it looks like, for a short time I wondered if it was explosive. > [@](#): > > It’s a reverse golf ball with the dimples facing out no > [@](#): > > I’d say it’s a magnet. Nothing else special. But a magnet by all practical definitions is an item that sticks to the refridgiator without sliding and can hold at least one piece of paper between it and the fridge. This object is both too round and heavy to hold on the fridge. It’s strong enough to hold itself on the bottom of a horizontal pipe though. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962/8 "2003-02-10T02:33:09Z")
Probably some weird new-agey magnetic massage ball. Roll it along the sole of your foot and tell me if all your chakras align. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962/9 "2003-02-10T02:34:19Z")
Any chance of posting photos of the object? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962/10 "2003-02-11T01:39:37Z")
> [@](#): > > Probably some weird new-agey magnetic massage ball Quite possibly, It is somewhat awkard to use for that purpose, perhaps only part of a massager. > [@](#): > > Roll it along the sole of your foot and tell me if all your chakras align. Ok rolling, now what? > [@](#): > > Any chance of posting photos of the object? I could get a digital picture of it but have no where to put it online. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962/11 "2003-02-11T01:45:19Z")
There’s plenty of free image-hosting services online, such as [this one.](http://www.boomspeed.com/) ---
**Author:** ![BuckleberryFerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5f9b8f/32.png) [@BuckleberryFerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuckleberryFerry)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962/12 "2003-02-11T02:25:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by k2dave \* > \*\*Kinda sucks when you forget where you parked 😛 > \*\* It do. ---
**Author:** ![LIONsob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/76d3ee/32.png) [@LIONsob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LIONsob)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962/13 "2003-02-11T02:59:34Z")
So that where the" Pu 239 Explosive Space Modulator" went to Marvin will be around shortly to pick it up. What ever you do DON’T DROP IT! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962/14 "2003-02-11T13:49:53Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s a very small anti-ship mine. Haven’t you ever seen Sea Hunt? > \*Originally posted by k2dave \* > > > [@](#): > > > > **That’s what it looks like, for a short time I wondered if it was explosive.** So you picked it up and started messing with it. Brilliant. :rolleyes: Have you tried smacking it with a large hammer, or running electric current through it? ---
**Author:** ![Bibliovore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Bibliovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliovore)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962/15 "2003-02-11T13:52:44Z")
Does it feel warm, by any chance? Let me know if your hair starts falling out… ---
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962/16 "2003-02-11T13:57:25Z")
I’m in the “new agey thing” camp. There were a lot of MLM sales of magnetic doodahs. There were magnetic lumpy rollers that you’d massage someone with. Probably this one fell out of its casing. Have you tried rubbing it to see if a genie appears? ---
**Author:** ![Woeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Woeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Woeg)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962/17 "2003-02-11T14:08:25Z")
Was it this? [![](http://www.e-nikken.com/products/images/1320.jpg) ](http://www.e-nikken.com/products/images/1320.jpg) If so, it’s a new-agey magnetic massage thingy. My parents got heavily into this stuff at one point. Mostly harmless. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962/18 "2003-02-11T14:36:12Z")
W00t! Punk ben-wa balls! ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962/19 "2003-02-11T21:05:38Z")
Where do you live? Could it be part of Columbia? ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962/20 "2003-02-11T21:39:33Z")
Reminds me a lot of the book _Invasion_ by Robin Cook. Have a glance at some of the reviews: [Amazon link](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0425155404/qid=1044999520/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-3897090-5731934?v=glance&s=books) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-object/153962.md?page=2)