Was it designed to be carried?
Was it part of a larger device?
Sometimes the answer comes from one tiny detail.
Before You Look at the Answer
Mystery-object challenges are more fun when you resist the urge to search immediately.Shop Bike Gear
Look carefully.
Try to determine what material the object is made from.
Consider its size.
Think about whether it appears designed to move.
Look for screws, gears, handles, wires, rollers, springs, or openings.
Then ask yourself a more important question:
What problem was this object designed to solve?
That question can be much more useful than simply asking what the object looks like.
A bicycle dynamo, for example, does not necessarily scream “bicycle light” when viewed by itself.
But once you ask what the device might accomplish through rotation, the possibilities become narrower.Compare Generators
Why Old Technology Can Be So Fascinating
Modern technology tends to hide its mechanisms.
