MYSTERIES

Now We Know What Those Weird Black Balls in Sydney Were Made of

Surprisingly, they are not tar balls as first thought.

In case you have been wondering, the hideous black balls that washed up on Australia’s shores last month turn out to be miniature “fatbergs,” CNN reports. Although the weird scourge of blobs first appeared to be made of tar, due to their shiny viscous texture, they actually comprise an evil mix of “human feces, methamphetamine, human hair, fatty acids, and food waste, among hundreds of other vile and befuddling substances,” as CNN puts it. This crack in the case comes courtesy of the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority, which began analyzing the balls after they turned up on several Sydney beaches in mid-October. Testing now reveals an amalgamation of oils—cooking, motor, etc.—soaps, hygiene products, food waste, and whatever else people wash down their drains. CNN reports that they “smell absolutely disgusting, ...worse than anything you’ve ever smelt,” which scans. Still no telling where they might have come from, though.