37 Things I Saw This Month That Feel Like They’re Living In 3024, Not 2024

1.

This desk clock that not only tells the time, the temperature, and whether it’s going to rain, but also when the soonest trains to this person’s work are:

2.

This floor projection at a hotel that might be the coolest thing I’ve ever seen:

3.

This smartphone cleaner in a Japanese McDonald’s bathroom:

4.

This QR code that only shows up under UV light that feels super futuristic:

5.

This ATM with a palm vein scanner that also feels super futuristic:

6.

This staircase that can turn into a wheelchair lift:

7.

This bathroom with a little seat to put your child in while you use the toilet:

8.

These bikes at a middle school library to encourage kids to stay active as they read, or help kids who need to move around a lot:

9.

These store windows that use tinted plastic to show the same jacket in different colors:

10.

This badminton store with a court inside so you can test out equipment before buying it:

11.

This game-finder at a book shop that helps people find new games based on a ton of different parameters:

12.

This edible coffee cup:

13.

And this edible honey container at a hotel breakfast:

14.

This hotel phone with a designated pizza button:

15.

This vacuum outlet, where you can just plug in a hose and get to vacuuming:

16.

This heated public sidewalk:

17.

This underwear with a pocket:

18.

This toilet with a metal tube that catches feminine hygiene products and wipes that are flushed when they shouldn’t be, so the pipes don’t get clogged:

19.

This elevator that actually gives you exact instructions in case you get stuck that has me wondering why all elevators don’t have this:

20.

This hotel with exit signs on the ground, which is WAY more useful for if there’s actually a fire:

21.

This airport with a meditation room:

22.

This remote that can take different batteries:

23.

This restaurant that has hard hats for falling acorns and free books to borrow while you eat:

24.

This public sunscreen dispenser in Maui that only dispenses reef-safe sunscreen:

25.

This Wal-Mart where you can get a mammogram:

26.

This library where staff can nominate their least favorite books, providing a way to vent and also a fun way to get people reading to see if they agree with the staff’s takes:

27.

This pizza place that advertises each of their staff members’ fave pizzas as specials:

28.

This desk pillow for sleeping during study breaks that I honestly need for the next time I go on an airplane:

29.

This repurposed Nintendo 3DS that would probably be sitting in a landfill otherwise, but is instead used to help people tour the Louvre:

30.

This ice maker with a “Sabbath” mode for religious people:

31.

This cell phone tower that looks like a palm tree, making it fit into LA much better:

32.

This parking lot that was converted into a solar energy farm, both generating energy and providing shade and cover for the cars:

33.

This taxi sticker that says the driver is open to flirting, which could be a bad idea but I think is fine as long as the driver is respectful:

34.

This airplane with USB-C charging ports, which would just make my life SO much easier:

35.

This drawer with a hidden drawer inside that I just think is very cool:

36.

This foil, which has a reminder to get more when it’s close to being fully used up:

37.

And finally, this label and the way they showed the word “energy” in different languages that I just think is super clever and space-saving: