Sometimes the world feels like it’s against us. Like, when you accidentally rip off the precious pull tab while opening a can of beans or when you are trying to figure out where is the end, the top, and the side of the sheet when making a bed. To some aliens from outer space, it would likely sound like not that big of a deal, but trust us, tiny humans, it is.
But thanks to some clever minds who were blessed with powers of creativity and problem-solving skills, life could be made easier, hundreds of times easier. But wait, let’s not hype it up too much, and let’s see what smart solutions to everyday problems Bored Panda has rounded up this time.
From tactile paintings for the blind to reversible public benches, and something as simple as a discount for well-behaved kids, these little things give us hope that no matter what, we are all going to be fine. Psst! More clever ideas to ease the stress of handling daily things can be found in our previous posts here, here, and here.
This post may include affiliate links.
A Discreet Way Of Calling For Help
How The Ruins Are Displayed In Serbia
In Norway, You Get A Small Amount Of Money For Recycling Bottles/Cans. A Lot Of Our Trash Cans Have These Holders So Poor And Homeless People Don't Have To Search Through The Trash To Collect Them
Humans have been coming up with ideas since the dawn of time. Some have been stupid (well, let’s be honest, most of them), some have been life-changing. But generating a truly good idea is a job on its own that requires breaking one’s conventional thinking and making that holy light bulb appear. But how you do this?
Well, first, good ideas don’t come naturally. You have to engage in observation, do research, watch people, and reflect on what you’ve seen. Gather all the information you can and look for patterns. In this way, you may spot the problem that needs to be solved and this is the point where your brain gets stimulated.
This Furniture Hardware Is Sorted By Step Rather Than By Type
These Public Swings Powered Chargers For Your Phone In A Train Station
The Fitted Sheet In My New Sheet Set Is Marked For Easier Bed-Making
Then, writing down the ideas, even the most absurd ones, is key. Think of how many bursts of thought we forget on a daily basis. Also, don’t worry about how the idea sounds initially. Picking the best ones is the second part of the job, but you only do this after you've got a solid list of ideas to work on.
Thirdly, remember that whatever it is that came to your mind, nothing’s impossible. Whether you dream of a business idea or a gadget that will change the world, accept the challenge you created for yourself and don’t be afraid it won’t work out.
Because even if it likely won’t save the planet, and you won’t become a second Steve Jobs, that doesn’t mean it won’t make our lives a tiny bit easier. And this is what we call an excellent idea turned reality.
Crosswalk Projected On A Dirty Winter Road
They Put Rails Under The Benches In This Park So You Can Always Be In The Shadow
Pfft, shade, shmade. I wanna go toot toot on the bench train.
Our Refrigerator Has Revolving Levels So You Can Reach Everything Easily
These Notched Chairs To Hold Bags
It’s so stupidly brilliant it almost angers me it hasn’t been done more.
This Restaurant Gives You A Discount If You Have Well-Behaved Kids
These Public Benches Are Reversible, So You Can Choose To Look At People, Or Boats
This Museum In Berlin Has "Touchable" Versions Of Their Paintings For Blind Or Visually-Impaired Visitors
This Keypad Randomizes The Numbers Every Time So Someone Doesn't Figure Out The Password From Your Hand Movements
Refillable Detergent In Prague, Czech
Doctors Paint The MRI Machine In The Children's Clinic To Look Like A Submarine
With refrains of, "We all live in a yellow submarine", playing in the background.
If You’re An Elderly Or Disabled, You Will Receive A Card That Enables You To Cross The Road With A Longer Countdown Time (Singapore)
A Very Interactive CPR Training Kiosk At The Airport
Train Seats In Japan Facing Outwards So You Can See The Scenery
That is interesting... I was told to always look at the scenery as not seeing it makes it worse. Not sure if facing sideways would be an issue or not, on boats watching the horizon helps no matter where on the boat (I mean ships). Genuinely don't know if this would be a problem or not for me.
Load More Replies...That's nice, but what's even cooler: in the Shinkansen (bullet-train) all seats can be turned 180° so that you never have to sit in the wrong direction.
They also have trains where you can 'flip' the back of the seats, so you're always sitting facing the direction the train is moving. When the train arrives at a terminus, an employee just walks up the length of the train reversing the backs of the seats.
Here in Australia, I've only ever been on trains like the one you are describing
Load More Replies...that's is a terrible idea. If you are having short trip (under 10minutes), you will feel motion sickness and after a while, when you get used to it... guess what - train stops and you need to be able to straights somehow but your body and mind are used to moving to one side for balance. Sounds fun tho - I would do that as a challenge.
On Felix trips we had we always were facing their front but this seems helpful
how much can you see at 200mph? it would be like impressionist art in a kalidescope
This is a local scenic route popular with tourists. Not a high speed train.
Load More Replies...We have those in the US. I've ridden in them. I liked it. You don't have to twist your neck constantly to enjoy the view.
Between bouts of nausea and going cross-eyed trying to take in the view …better to have them angled.
Undecided..at least all would get the same view although it would be flashing by too quickly
LOVE THIS! And this makes for more and comfortable standing room
They need to make the back of the seats reversible like they did in the bench a couple of pictures up so people have a choice ;)
YouTube has a tour inside of a bullet train: the windows start 3/4 of the way up, so passengers can't see the closest terrain whiz by. It was making passengers jauseous.
Tese were called 'parlor cars' in the US. No longer in use though Cost per passenger-mile is extremely high..
Yeah it could be good but it'd be a problem getting in and out of the seats without squishing someone as u walk past
But I can see perfectly well out of the windows without travelling sideways. Not very efficient of the Japanese.
This is not safe, as you are turning your back to strangers. Especially in high crime areas, this could lead to more potential victims, as they literally will not see their attacker coming.
I wish all trains did this. But maybe have the chairs swivel and lock into position so people with travel sickness could sit the usual way.
I'd have to keep my eyes closed the entire time or it would be destination Puke City, population me.
I would love this but I would get too focused on the scenery and absorbing it all that I might miss what people are saying lol
A lot of societies find it very rude to be drinking and eating in public. They prioritise making time for eating and drinking as an activity, and keeping it to appropriate places. This has probably played a significant role in keeping their virus levels lower, as they wash their hands before sitting down to eat or drink, and aren't constantly touching a ticket machine, grab drink, grab handrail, grab drink, put drink to mouth, get a mint, etc.
Load More Replies...Do you know how many rail passengers in Japan were killed in train crashes last year? Zero. Same as the year before. And the year before that.
Load More Replies...This Shirt Has A Piece Of Lens Cloth Sewn On The Inside For Your Glasses
This Soap Bottle Lists A Purpose For Each Ingredient
Now I have something mildly interesting to read in the shower besides having made-up debates in my head that will never happen.
A Pill Bottle That Keeps Track Of When It Was Last Opened
I used to think things like this were silly. Until I got older... 🤣👍🏽
This Airplane Sleeping Mask Has Different Sides Depending On If You Want The Flight Attendant To Wake You Up For Meals Or Not
My University Sent Me A Wallet-Sized Diploma
This Baby Store Has Different Surfaces To “Road Test” The Strollers
My Spatula Has A Little Stand So It Doesn’t Touch The Counter
My Hospital Has Lights In The Ceiling That Are Designed To Look Like The Sky
A Bicycle Escalator In Norway
The Tear-Offs On This Poster For Domestic Abuse Have The Phone Number Disguised As A Bar Code
At The Uffizi Gallery In Florence, They Have Versions Of Paintings So That Blind And Visually Impaired Visitors Could Still Enjoy The Art
The Plastic Packaging Of This Paint Roller Doubles As A Paint Tray
This Toilet Lock That Doubles As A Tray So You Can’t Leave Without Taking Your Stuff
You Can’t Read The Cash Machine Screen If You’re Not Directly In Front Of It
This Elevator At My University Has Feet Buttons
My Wife Got Me A Magnet Bracelet For Holding On To Screws As I Fix Things
This Chess Set From 1972 Has The Valid Moves For Each Piece Stamped On Their Bases, Making The Game Much Easier For Beginners To Learn
They Have Pet Carts In Grocery Stores In Italy
My Local Hypermarket Grows Some Of Its Own Vegetables
This TV Remote Has A Keyboard On It's Back
Now they just have a microphone and you say what you want, unless you have a south african accent, so you have to say it a couple of times trying to find the right american accent it wants
These Two Different Sets Of Shopping Baskets At A Department Store In Bangkok - For Those That Need Help Or Want To Be Left Alone
My Work Has A Special Coat Closet For Smokers
Shopping Cart Cleaning Machine In Germany
This Dustpan Has A Comb For The Broom
I literally just ordered a black one the other day! I'm still waiting for it to arrive
This Rooftop For Bicycles So The Saddle Won't Get Wet
This Kinetic Sidewalk Generates Electricity When You Walk On It
Little fixes like his add up and up and up. Solar, wind, hydro and brains mean we could live happily without fossil fuels or nuclear.
My Spoon Carving Kit Came With Bandaids
Hahaha... they know you won't get through the carving without hurting yourself
A Suitcase That Can Measure Its Own Weight
I feel it would get smashed at the hands of the baggage handling staff when being loaded or unloaded from the aircraft.
This Is A Mud Shovel. The Holes Help Break Suction When Digging In The Mud
This Ruler Has Cascading Millimeter Mark That Makes It Easier To Read
This Deck Of Cards Has A Blank For A Replacement If A Card Is Lost
Note: this post originally had 172 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
Most of these made me say Wow, but far too many of them just made me nostalgic. I miss hotels, and escalators, and tourist attractions, and just going for a walk, and the opportunity to be in a bathroom with multiple occupied stalls!
I could do without the multiple occupied bathroom stalls, personally. Definitely miss traveling though.
Load More Replies...I always enjoy these series that come round from time to time on BP. I guess I particularly enjoy them as I am a creative and like problem solving
I want basically all of these now! Even the spoon carving set, weird but cool.
Local health centre now has a variety of different height loos in the disabled toilets. Mostly one in each, but a couple of double toilets in one room. Great to have a choice as most used to be extra low for transfer from a wheelchair. They have some extra tall for those of us that can't bend
Lovely to see such creative ideas. I'm def going to need one of these one day, which I found looking up precision rulers https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mayyou-Precision-Woodworking-Measuring-Positioning/dp/B083DXGNKN/ref=sr_1_17?dchild=1&hvadid=80882855808380&hvbmt=bp&hvdev=c&hvqmt=p&keywords=precision+ruler&qid=1611067810&sr=8-17&tag=mh0a9-21
Anybody notice how the number of up votes for each item declines almost evenly as you work your way down the list showing how people become disengaged as they get further down. Rerunning the list the other way up would allow you to get an even better measure of the rate of disengagement and to extract a more meaningful measure of the quality of the ideas - which are very good, by the way.
Some of these are so simply practicable sense that it's hard to imagine why we don't have them all over the world! I love looking at this kind of stuff.
You published your Post of the Year so soon? A lot of brilliant thinking here, though I'd hate to try to clean my glasses on that shirt (#19).
Most of these made me say Wow, but far too many of them just made me nostalgic. I miss hotels, and escalators, and tourist attractions, and just going for a walk, and the opportunity to be in a bathroom with multiple occupied stalls!
I could do without the multiple occupied bathroom stalls, personally. Definitely miss traveling though.
Load More Replies...I always enjoy these series that come round from time to time on BP. I guess I particularly enjoy them as I am a creative and like problem solving
I want basically all of these now! Even the spoon carving set, weird but cool.
Local health centre now has a variety of different height loos in the disabled toilets. Mostly one in each, but a couple of double toilets in one room. Great to have a choice as most used to be extra low for transfer from a wheelchair. They have some extra tall for those of us that can't bend
Lovely to see such creative ideas. I'm def going to need one of these one day, which I found looking up precision rulers https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mayyou-Precision-Woodworking-Measuring-Positioning/dp/B083DXGNKN/ref=sr_1_17?dchild=1&hvadid=80882855808380&hvbmt=bp&hvdev=c&hvqmt=p&keywords=precision+ruler&qid=1611067810&sr=8-17&tag=mh0a9-21
Anybody notice how the number of up votes for each item declines almost evenly as you work your way down the list showing how people become disengaged as they get further down. Rerunning the list the other way up would allow you to get an even better measure of the rate of disengagement and to extract a more meaningful measure of the quality of the ideas - which are very good, by the way.
Some of these are so simply practicable sense that it's hard to imagine why we don't have them all over the world! I love looking at this kind of stuff.
You published your Post of the Year so soon? A lot of brilliant thinking here, though I'd hate to try to clean my glasses on that shirt (#19).