Nope, they’re not modern art or erroneous ink blotches. These are QR Codes or “quick response codes”. These are like barcodes and are readable via a QR Code scanner or smartphone with the appropriate software installed. Download a barcode scanner or qr code scanner application on to your phone and you will be able to “read” one of these. In Reeko’s Mad Scientist Lab, QR Codes are used to provide secret messages (e.g. where to find the hidden pots of gold), science tips, and in some cases, just to mess with your head.
QR Codes were created in Japan in 1994 and were quite popular there for some time before they spread to the United States. QR codes were originally developed to track parts in a factory but have since spread to the mobile web where they are used to specify website URLs and do a bunch of other cool stuff (like automatically dial your phone).