# What mundane ordinary items fascinate you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 25, 2014, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587 "2014-06-25T05:56:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earth001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a6a055/32.png) [@Earth001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earth001)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587/1 "2014-06-25T05:56:14Z")
As it says on the tin, what are some ordinary items that we use in our daily lives that fascinate you? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587/2 "2014-06-25T06:20:59Z")
The thermos: How do it know? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587/3 "2014-06-25T06:23:17Z")
I’m fascinated that I can walk through a nuclear research reactor pretty much any day I want, and also the facility that fabricates the nuclear fuel for the facility. Way cool stuff. I’m also fascinated by SpaceX, but have no connection to them at all. Elon Musk is a hero of mine. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587/4 "2014-06-25T06:29:10Z")
Fucking magnets. How do THEY work? ---
**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:** [June 25, 2014, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587/5 "2014-06-25T06:58:55Z")
Gloves. When you take them off, they still look like a hand. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587/6 "2014-06-25T07:08:52Z")
Glass. It’s made of sand, people… **SAND** ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587/7 "2014-06-25T07:15:05Z")
Oh…and my Swiss Army Knife. I like opening all of the little bits out (including removing the pin, toothpick and pen that slot into the side, and the teeny screwdriver that twists into the corkscrew), then putting it all back together. Yeah. I know. :o ---
**Author:** ![here\_and\_there](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f07891/32.png) [@here\_and\_there](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/here_and_there)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587/8 "2014-06-25T08:33:37Z")
Plastic boots, and plastic tents. You can rain all you want… F\*\*\* you Nature 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587/9 "2014-06-25T08:42:15Z")
Watches. This is now ancient tech in comparison to the new gizmos, but they’re still beyond superior. Winding while you just moves your arms? Doesn’t crash? USB, my ass. These things tell you the elevation without a microchip. ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587/10 "2014-06-25T08:49:23Z")
My ink pen. No, I’m not old enough to have used a quill 😛 but fountain pens were really messy though often expensive, I think. Banks gave them out and it was a big deal. You know the old cartoon of an ink splotch on a guy’s white shirt pocket? That probably doesn’t happen now but used to clothes were regularly ruined by ink. Few of us could get the hang of refilling a pen so when the disposables came out it was heaven. I can write as much as I want _then throw them away._ Just, wow. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587/11 "2014-06-25T08:54:47Z")
The potato peeler. Simple as hell. It’s the definition of purely functional design perfection. It’s just a stupid piece of stamped and formed metal with a sharpened edge, and yet it’s so fucking good at what it does it’s ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587/12 "2014-06-25T09:14:15Z")
Also a corkscrew wine bottle opener. I don’t drink wine often, but I did wait tables. When someone ordered a bottle, I got to take it out (the kind with the arms you keep in your apron), pop it on top, aim it (which is foolproof), screw it down and make the arms go up, push down on the arms and serve. Not one of my best skills though. So my second favorite invention was the wine strainer-- a simple little sieve to catch all the broken cork I just carved from the cork into the bottle… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587/13 "2014-06-25T11:10:56Z")
Pinwheels. So simple and yet they radiate a sense of joy, of hope, of optimism. ---
**Author:** ![Bibliovore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Bibliovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliovore)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587/14 "2014-06-25T11:21:28Z")
Knives and pocketknives. One of the oldest, simplest tools known to mankind, yet still one of the most beautiful, elegant and downright essential ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587/15 "2014-06-25T12:53:20Z")
Refrigerators or air conditioners or anything else relying on phase change. AMAZING! ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587/16 "2014-06-25T12:59:55Z")
Staplers. I _especially_ like the old, old ones that are made of cast metal and weigh about 20 pounds. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587/17 "2014-06-25T13:07:08Z")
Books, newspapers and magazines. There is just something facinating about words printed on paper. I know I can get the same information from an LED screen but, dangit, it’s just not the same! ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587/18 "2014-06-25T14:07:12Z")
> [@here\_and\_there](#): > > Plastic boots, and plastic tents. > > You can rain all you want… F\*\*\* you Nature 😃 There is an awesome feeling of invulnerability when you are outside in shitty weather and have your waterproof gear on. Same when it’s cold outside but you’re warm and snuggly in your clothes. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587/19 "2014-06-25T16:55:23Z")
Rema bicycle tube patch kits. It’s like a little time capsule, I’ve never seen a product with so little design change. ---
**Author:** ![CheshireKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheshirekat/32/1207_2.png) [@CheshireKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheshireKat)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587/20 "2014-06-25T17:05:59Z")
Cotton candy and bubble wands have fascinated me since childhood. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mundane-ordinary-items-fascinate-you/691587.md?page=2)