Before anyone has the bright idea: universal healthcare, haha. Get it out of your system, dear internet.
With that said, check out all this cool stuff the world has! No, don’t look at it as if someone else has it better than you. Rather, consider it an idea that you can yoink and introduce in your own immediate surroundings because everyone deserves good things.
#1 Australian Company Introduces Glow-In-The-Dark Highway Paint Technology
Image credits: CryptoStunnah
#2 UK Supermarket Has A Tag You Can Add For Carts With Wonky Wheels
Image credits: qwerty11055
#3 In Singapore, Elderly Pedestrians Can Tap Their Identity Card To Have More Time At The Pedestrian Crossing
Swiping the card at a sensor gives its holder an extra 3 to 13 seconds to walk across, depending on the size of the crossing.
Image credits: NickyNek
If you’re reading this, it’s very likely you already know the answer to why there are borders between countries, why each country is different, and similar questions that deal with why someone has something and someone else does not.
But let’s humor the idea of there being singularity—like, what if there’d be just one country on Earth?
#4 Traffic Light With A Shining Pole In Moscow, Russia
Image credits: m0rejuice
#5 There Is A Swing Made For Wheelchairs At This Park In Mexico
Image credits: dpassey33
#6 This Car Park In France Has Soft Barriers Between Parking Spaces To Stop People Scratching Other Cars
Image credits: tomoblob
It’s romantic to think that, in some senses, our planet can be seen as a single country—a single place where we as a species live. And that’s what we share.
Apollo 9 space mission member Rusty Schweikhart explained that when he first looked at Earth from space, he felt a profound shift in perspective. Looking at it, he knew there were numerous borders on it, yet you couldn’t even see them.
#7 Japanese Government Sends Individuals Quarantining At Home Free Care Packages! Shown Is For 1 Person (Me) In Tokyo
Image credits: FriedCheeseCurdz
#8 Nappies In Sweden Have A Father On The Packaging
Image credits: caspii2
#9 Cool Bike Repair Equipment On A Bike Path (Canada)
Image credits: dannyp24
Despite Rusty’s idea, despite our species essentially coming from a single place and sharing the same ancestry, we somehow got to a point where there are around 200 countries, each living its own life, relatively speaking. Why? How? What happened for these borders and walls to pop up and separate us?
#10 Lights To Silently Get Your Waiter's Attention In Maastricht, Netherlands
Image credits: GRC2772
#11 My Australian Tax Return Shows Where My Money Went
Image credits: heapsgoods
#12 Sewer Cover In Osaka, Japan
Image credits: SpaceMasala
One theory, validated by a number of studies, suggests that whenever people are made to feel insecure and anxious, the natural response is to cling to their identity and defend themselves against insecurities.
While criticized, the theory still explains why, in times of crisis and uncertainty, nationalism grows, and walls tend to be built.
#13 This Stall For Your Dog Outside A Super Market In Copenhagen!
No petting, no taunting, no questionable treats, perfect! Just don't plan to spend the night there yourself. A writer for The Outline tried a similar booth and apparently they have cameras/sensors watching and the company will fine people who get in.
Image credits: Flixen01
#14 This Burger King In Norway Has A Apot For You To Empty Your Sodas In Before You Throw The Cup Away
Image credits: reddit.com
#15 This Toilet Flushes By Using Your Foot
This mechanism is located in a toilet in Mexico and you don't have to be a germaphobe to appreciate it. Unsanitary public toilets can lead to gut infections, lung and skin infections as well as STDs. If a stool doesn't look clean but you really need to use it, consider using tissue paper to open its door, using the toilet seat cover, and if there isn’t one, cleaning the toilet seat with a tissue paper before using it or even hovering closely above the toilet.
Image credits: BradleyC5922
So, to avoid that, the psychologist behind these insights, Steve Taylor, explained that the other end of the spectrum is where folks who are well-off reside—folks who incidentally often don’t have a sense of group identity.
Instead, they have transcended beyond that concept and found a calmer life where folks aren’t pigeonholed into nationalities, borders, identities, and the like.
#16 Supermarket Trolleys In Sweden Have A Map Of The Supermarket
It's about time we got something like this. Rick Paulas of the Pacific Standard has compared the current design of many grocery stores to casinos. "There are lights and sounds that re-focus attention every micro-second, carpet on the ground to offer cushion for our feet, an open-flow space from the slot machines to the poker tables to the roulette. But what's more important is what's not there: clocks on the wall, bathrooms, escape routes. The reason is obvious — can't spend money if you're not present—and they point toward why supermarkets attempted to get their customers lost."
Image credits: caspii2
#17 UPS In Italy Uses These "Bicycle Trucks" To Deliver Packages To Places In Narrow Streets Of Rome
Image credits: hayaimonogachi
#18 Train Seats In Japan Facing Outwards So You Can See The Scenery
Image credits: Nazulle
Taylor noticed that folks who went through extreme psychological trauma—a life-threatening diagnosis or a loss in the family—often entered this next step in human development. They wouldn’t feel like they belonged to some nationality, religion, race, whatever. Having lived something that intense has led them to lose their group identity because they no longer felt separate, fragile, or insecure. And so there was no need for some sort of quick fix in the form of nationalism.
#19 The Trains In Japan Have Women-Only Cars
Image credits: DEEP_SEA_MAX
#20 Public Air Shower In Tokyo To Blow Pollen Off Hay Fever Sufferers
Image credits: Humvee13
#21 This Carousel In Hong Kong Has A Sea Turtle Mounted To The Floor For Disabled Children
Image credits: cuttyranking
So, once humanity stops individualizing itself through identities, only then will there essentially be one country. And once borders are out the window, then there’d be an increased chance of everyone having and enjoying the same nice things.
But do you notice how I say an increased chance? There’s always a catch.
#22 This Ice Lolly I Bought In Korea Has A Little Tray To Prevent It From Melting All Over Your Hands
Image credits: R3damnTion
#23 This Bill In Turkey Tells You How Much Each Person Would Need To Pay If You Split It Equally
Image credits: Bleary_Eyed
#24 They Have Pet Carts In Grocery Stores In Italy
Image credits: MerleChi
While an amazing concept, losing group identity won’t solve all of the world’s problems. It would solve plenty, but not all.
Remember that what works in one part of the world might not work in another. And, by proxy, there’d still remain that "oh, we have something you don’t" mentality just because of a simple lack of necessity. There’s more, but you get the point, right?
#25 This Pizza Box In Japan That Has A Handle In The Middle To Keep The Pizza Flat
Image credits: SaekoZ2
#26 These Two Different Sets Of Shopping Baskets At A Department Store In Bangkok - For Those That Need Help Or Want To Be Left Alone
Image credits: saksith
#27 In Belgian Train’s Toilets There Is A Sos Button Close To The Ground In Case People Fall And Can’t Get Up
Image credits: zotket
Besides, there are easy solutions to these problems—either bring whatever it is that you want in and make it a thing, or go to this other country, experience it, and move on. No need to flex who has what.
But a person can still dream of a world where there’s a single country where everyone could possibly be able to experience Kinder Surprises. In any case, thank you for listening to my ramblings.
#28 Lisbon Consists Of 7 Hills. In Order To Make It Easier For Residents And Tourists To Move Between The Different Neighbourhoods, This Open-Air Escalator Was Installed
Image credits: rebordacao
#29 There’s A Privacy Button That Plays Background Sound In The Toilet In Japan So Your Bombing Sounds Won’t Be Heard
Image credits: Natsumi_xy
#30 Shopping Cart Cleaning Machine In Germany
Image credits: pogogq
So, what are your thoughts on any of this? Share everything that you want to share (within reason, though, kids are watching) in the comment section below!
#31 Bus Stop In Norway With Books You Can Read While You Wait
Image credits: mymindismycastle
#32 In Mexico They Label Their Food If They Have Excessive Sugar And Calories(Azúcares Is Sugars)
Image credits: Emerald_Axe
#33 Knee-Activated Water Taps At A Supermarket, Italy
Image credits: 4t0m77
#34 In Morocco, Utility Poles Are Disguised As Palm Trees
Image credits: reddit.com
#35 These Bins In Sweden Show You What To Recycle
Image credits: helloitsduke
#36 A Public Bike Stand With A Built-In Pump
This cool multi-purpose mechanism was photographed in Utrecht, the Netherlands. And this doesn't come as a surprise. Cycling is a common mode of transport in the Netherlands, with 36% of the people listing the bicycle as their most frequent mode of transport on a typical day.
Image credits: cremecitron
#37 This Tank Style Stairs Dolly In Japan
Image credits: Tokyodrew
#38 The Gum I Bought In Japan Comes With A Stack Of Paper For Easy Disposal
Image credits: tikuku
#39 These Sprinklers On The Road Near The Ski Resort I’m At In Japan To Keep The Road From Freezing Over. (Salt Water If You Were Wondering)
Image credits: TheWolvis
#40 In Norway, The Packed Meat Has A "Thermometer" That Tells You How Many Days Are Left Until It's No Longer Safe To Eat It
Image credits: vegakiri
#41 Adult And Child Sized Toilets In A Single Stall - Auckland International Airport
Image credits: OMG_imBrick
#42 This Toilet In Japan Has A System Of Occupied/Vacant Toilets Information
Image credits: youknowitalktoomuch
#43 Japanese Police Cars Can Raise Their Blinking Lights To Be More Visible
Image credits: sand500
#44 Bottle Caps In Italy Designed To Stay Attached To Bottle
Image credits: cwajgapls
#45 This Heated Bench With A Wireless Charging Pad For Your Phone At A Bus Stop In South Korea
Image credits: Lezbi_Nerdy
#46 The Elevators In My Office Building Have An Umbrella Sign That Lights Up If It's Raining Outside (Osaka, Japan)
Image credits: eigosensei
#47 They Have Umbrella Vending Machines In Hong Kong
Image credits: reddit.com
#48 This Belgian Supermarket Has A Parking Spot Just For Pregnant Women
Image credits: root42
#49 This Croatian Crosswalk Pedestrian Pushbutton Has A Tactile Display Of The Intersection
Image credits: ayearinaminute
#50 Weird Plastic Finger Covers To Eat Chips With In Korea
Image credits: reddit.com
