Once upon a time, the U.S. was the greatest country in the world. But, with the advent of technology, other countries caught up and started doing some things better. According to the 2026 Best Countries in the World ranking, the U.S. didn’t make the top 10, while Switzerland was named the best country in the world.
Several categories caused the U.S. to fall behind, including health, infrastructure, and civic health. But there’s still time to learn and catch up! Here are some things that people online have noticed in other countries that make the U.S. feel like it’s still in the Dark Ages: solar-powered public benches, sidewalks for smartphone users, and emergency toilets in elevators are just a few.
Check out more cool things other countries have that the U.S. should steal immediately, and maybe then they’d have a chance of becoming the greatest country in the world again!
#1 A Hands Free Sunscreen Machine That Rotates As It Sprays Your Body With Sunscreen
Image source: relytyler11700
#2 There’s A Privacy Button That Plays Sound In The Toilet In The Background In Japan So Your Bombing Sound Wouldn’t Be Heard
Image source: anon
#3 In Norway The Packed Meat Has A “Thermometer” That Tells You How Many Days Are Left Until Its No Longer Safe To Eat It
Image source: vegakiri
With so many of these innovations, it’s not just the U.S. lagging behind — many other countries should adopt these genius inventions as well. Take the hands-free sunscreen machine, for example, aka SnappyScreen. It’s the perfect solution for sun protection without getting your hands oily and gross.
Developed as a startup in 2014 by Cornell graduate Kristen McClellan, SnappyScreen started out as a business offering its machine to luxury resorts, hotels, water parks, country clubs, and private homes. Today, it also offers sunscreen in spray, stick ,and lip balm form. Many hotels in the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, and Aruba now have the machine.
While the idea is genius, the execution leaves something to be desired, especially for people sensitive to the sun. As the team at How To Be A Redhead writes, the machine offers at most SPF40, and spray-on coverage often isn’t enough for full protection as it is, so it’s better to double-apply even with the machine.
#4 Public Air Shower In Tokyo To Blow Pollen Off Hay Fever Sufferers
Image source: Humvee13
#5 This Sidewalk For Smartphone Users In Warsaw, Poland
Image source: thankurichard
#6 Traffic Light With Shining Pole
Image source: m0rejuice
We’re all humans, yet there’s one thing we often feel ashamed about — our bodily functions. Public restrooms can often become places of embarrassment; for example, 41% of Brits worry about other people hearing them in the bathroom.
Japanese engineers have solved this problem by introducing privacy sounds. Satoshi Wakuda, the creator of one such innovation, Sound Decorator, is a device that plays the sound of gurgling and splashing water for 25 seconds so that those who visit the restroom don’t have to feel mortified by the sounds that they’re making.
Similar noise-makers first appeared in Japan in the 1980s, and Wakuda and his team tested many different sounds: birdsong, jet aircraft and car engines, violins and piano, and radio static, but the sound of water turned out to mask toilet noises the best. “The noise of one liquid can mask another,” Wakuda explained. “It’s like the ‘cocktail party effect.’ You can’t follow a conversation when there are other people talking in the room.”
#7 This Solar-Powered Bench In Croatia Lets You Charge Your Phone And Emits WiFi
Image source: Snysny
#8 This Pizza Box In Japan That Has A Handle In The Middle To Keep The Pizza Flat
Image source: SaekoZ2
#9 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 source: saksith
No matter how much we don’t like to admit it, many of us are unhealthily dependent on our smartphones. Research shows that pedestrians are distracted when they’re on their smartphones and are at high risk of falling and injuring themselves. So, the idea of a sidewalk dedicated to smartphone users exclusively seems like a good idea.
#10 These Bins In Sweden Show You What To Recycle
Image source: helloitsduke
#11 This Emergency Elevator Toilet In Japan
Image source: Xander395
#12 This Car Park In France Has Soft Barriers Between Parking Spaces To Stop People Scratching Other Cars
Image source: tomoblob
Some cities, like California, Idaho, Yamato in Japan, and all of Lithuania, already have legislation that fines pedestrians crossing the street while on their smartphones. Italian government is currently weighing in on a similar proposal. And a few Chinese cities, not only Warsaw, have tested out the sidewalks for smartphone users, Chongqing and Xi’an, for example.
#13 This Bill In Turkey Tells You How Much Each Person Would Need To Pay If You Split It Equally
Image source: Bleary_Eyed
#14 This Crosswalk Pedestrian Pushbutton Has A Tactile Display Of The Intersection
Image source: ayearinaminute
#15 Paris Has Sparkling Water Fountains
Image source: Umbertina2
Some locals think that separate lanes for smartphone users do more harm than good. They say people are even more distracted and might not even notice when a car or another pedestrian bumps into them. “Everybody walking along here thinks that it’s very safe; at the side of the road, there are cars, and the vehicles also come onto here, and sometimes only just avoid you,” local Wei Xiaowei told the news website The Paper.
#16 In Morocco, Utility Poles Are Disguised As Palm Trees
Image source: [deleted]
#17 They Have Umbrella Vending Machines In Hong Kong
Image source: [deleted]
#18 This Cinema In Croatia Has Beds Instead Of Seats In The Last Row
Image source: WeirdConstruction7
Croatia isn’t the only country to rock solar-powered benches in their cities. At least 37 cities have similar innovations, all from one Serbian start-up, Strawberry Energy. These benches provide smartphone charging, Wi-Fi, air quality monitoring, and local real-time information.
#19 Lift Emergency Button At Floor Level Too Should You Collapse (Or Are Incredibly Short). UK
Image source: CrappyTan69
#20 This Toilet In Japan Has A System Of Occupied/Vacant Toilets Information
Image source: youknowitalktoomuch
#21 Knee-Activated Water Taps At A Supermarket, Italy
Image source: 4t0m77
Which of these innovations do you think is the coolest, Pandas? If you’re a Panda living outside of the U.S., share the most futuristic thing in your city that’s streets ahead of what the U.S. has to offer. And while you’re here, don’t forget to check out things that America does better than the rest of the world, and these shocking transformations of women before-and-after moving to the U.S.
#22 Microsoft (Copenhagen) Has Tablet/Phone Holders In Their Toilet Stalls
Image source: ScriptThat
#23 The Airport In Seoul Has A Robot Which Will Carry Your Luggage To Your Gate For You
Image source: FatherOfTheSevenSeas
#24 These Helpful Robots That Wander Incheon Airport, Seoul, That You Can Use To Check Flight Information
Image source: stirredturd
#25 Today In Copenhagen There Was Car Free Sunday
Image source: kevinchr1
#26 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)
Image source: Caesar95
#27 This Scaffolding In Amsterdam Has A Mural Of The Building It’s Covering
Image source: dustanner
#28 Lights To Get Your Waiters Attention Silently In Maastricht, Netherlands
Image source: GRC2772
#29 My Neighbourhood (In Singapore) Has An Umbrella Sharing Project
Image source: random_avocado
#30 They Have Pet Carts In Grocery Stores In Italy
Image source: MerleChi
#31 Shopping Cart Cleaning Machine In Germany
Image source: pogogq
#32 In Belgian Train’s Toilets There Is A Sos Button Close To The Ground In Case People Fall And Can’t Get Up
Image source: [deleted]
#33 UPS In Italy Uses These “Bicycle Trucks” To Deliver Packages To Places In Narrow Streets Of Rome
Image source: hayaimonogachi
#34 Height Adjustable Headrest In Denmark
Image source: royce_17
#35 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 source: TheWolvis
#36 This Belgian Supermarket Has A Parking Spot Just For Pregnant Women
Image source: root42
#37 Adult And Child Sized Toilets In A Single Stall – Auckland International Airport
Image source: OMG_imBrick
#38 This McDonald’s Has A Smaller Counter Upstairs And They Use A Conveyer Belt To Ship Food
Image source: jacob3ch
#39 This Burger King In Norway Has A Spot For You To Empty Your Sodas In Before You Throw The Cup Away
Image source: [deleted]
#40 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 source: rebordacao
#41 Japanese Police Cars Can Raise Their Blinking Lights To Be More Visible
Image source: sand500
#42 Weird Plastic Finger Covers To Eat Chips With In Korea
Image source: [deleted]
#43 Cakes Sold In South Korea Usually Come With Free Candles And Matches Hidden In The Plastic Cake Knife
Image source: sptjasd
#44 My Australian Tax Return Shows Where My Money Went
Image source: heapsgoods
#45 When You Turn 18 In Sweden, You Get This Guidebook For How To Be An Adult
Image source: JacsweYT
#46 This Medal My Dad Received From His Hospital For Beating Cancer
The medal in Korean says that his treatment for cancer has ended. It was prostate cancer.
He no longer needs yearly check ups. I didn’t ask him if the medal was gold plated.
Image source: burnjanso
#47 Robot Lawn Mower In A Hospital In Denmark
Image source: MathiasYtzen
#48 Bahrain Airport Offers Actual Functional Strollers For Kids!
Image source: [deleted]
#49 Solar Power On Buses In Hong Kong
Image source: Obvious_wombat
#50 This Bus In Edinburgh Translates Announcements Into Sign Language
Image source: weeteuchter
#51 In Order To Start A Positive Change, Supermarkets Across Asia Have Started Using Leaves To Pack Their Vegetables
Image source: -f-o-c-u-s-
#52 In Sweden We Have Trash Cans With WiFi To Attract People To Throw Some Trash
Image source: glimpim01
#53 There’s A Solar Farm In China Shaped Like A Panda
Image source: Chris_Isur_Dude
#54 The Toilet In My Hotel In Filled With Seawater
Image source: snakemollten
#55 Robot Tourist Information In Tokyo
Image source: Tristanlp
#56 Projected Markings In Oulu, Finland, When Snow Covers The Ones Painted On The Street
Image source: Penkinvaltaaja
#57 Traffic Lights In The Netherlands Tells You When A Bus Is Approaching
Image source: AssignmentWilling486
#58 In China, Urinals Can Conduct A Health Check-Up For You, For A Fee
Image source: CryptoFaud
#59 This Supermarket Has Confectionary Free Checkouts For Parents Unwilling To Have Children Demanding That They Buy Some
Image source: TheEvilton
#60 For Anyone Curious, This Is What A Birthing Suite Looks Like In A Public Danish Hospital
Image source: bangtrup
#61 This Is How Much An Emergency Ambulance Ride Ended Up Costing Me In Germany (10.00€)
Image source: morganej
#62 This Stall For Your Dog Outside A Super Market In Copenhagen!
Image source: Flixen01
#63 The French Supermarket I’m In Started Warning Its Customers About Shrinkflation And Which Specific Brands Are Doing It
Image source: _ImpersonalJesus_
#64 Mascots On Sugary Cereal (And All Candy) Censored In México To Fight Childhood Obesity
Image source: maddawg300
#65 This Quiet Room At Narita Airport For People With Autism
Image source: PurpleWallaby999
#66 ‘Pay Phones’ In Australia Are All Free
Image source: [deleted]
#67 This Mcdonalds Has A “Drive-Thru” For Boats. Located In Hamburg, Germany
Image source: peter_the_meter
#68 We Have A Self-Driving Bus In My City In Norway
Image source: norwegianlife
#69 Tokyo Train Station Has A Face-To-Face “Live” Translation Window With 12 Languages
Image source: BeardedGlass
#70 This “Pick Up, Drop Off” Machine At Yokohama Station Lets People Transfer Goods Without Meeting In Person
Image source: daidougei
#71 To Encourage More Young People To Donate Blood, Sahlgrenska University Hospital In Gothenburg, Sweden, Sends A Text To Donors When Their Blood Plasma Has Been Dispensed To Someone In Need
Image source: HellsJuggernaut
#72 The Trains In Japan Have Women Only Cars
Image source: DEEP_SEA_MAX
#73 In South Korea, China, And Germany, They Have Specific Painted Parking Spots For Women
Image source: angrysandwich_
#74 In Amsterdam, You Can Spot These Little ‘Menstruation Stations’ Where Anyone In Need Can Grab Tampons, Napkins, And Cups For Free
Image source: RoamAndRamble
#75 This Train Has An Information Screen Which Shows How Full Each Carriage Is
Image source: Aquilaro
#76 A New Type Of Pedestrian Crossing Light Indicators Found In Hong Kong
Image source: thousander2021
#77 This Heated Bench With A Wireless Charging Pad For Your Phone At A Bus Stop In South Korea
Image source: Lezbi_Nerdy
#78 This Is The Medicine I Take Once Every Two Weeks, Which Allows Me To Live A Fairly Normal Life. If I Had To Pay Myself, They Would Cost 6,129 Dkk/1,126 USD. Thank You Universal Health Care
Image source: [deleted]
#79 Luggage Marking On The Floor Of A Train In Germany
Image source: PlasticTreeTalker
#80 They Have Built In Child Seats In The Madrid Bus
Image source: Wonderfullltatts
#81 I Saw A Scottish Mobile Cinema Today. People Go In The Front And The Screen Is At The Back
Image source: madding247
#82 Scaffolding In Hong Kong Is Made Of Bamboo
Image source: FruitSnacksRgummies
#83 My Country Has Both A Handicap And Elderly Parking Spots
Image source: ififitsisits29
#84 Modern Icelandic Houses Are Built With Geothermally Heated Water Pipes Under Their Sidewalks So Icelanders Never Have To Shovel In Winter
Image source: karljam
#85 Sidewalks In Helsinki Are Heated From Under
Image source: [deleted]
#86 The Elevators In My Office Building Have An Umbrella Sign That Lights Up If It’s Raining Outside (Osaka, Japan)
Image source: eigosensei
#87 Here’s My Awesome Korean School Lunch! Schools Have A Qualified Nutritionist To Plan The Lunch Menu
Image source: StiffCrustySock
#88 Decent Public Transportation, And Bike Friendly Cities. The City I Live In Is Supposedly On Of The Most Bike Friendly Cities In The Country, And It Still Sucks. Also, Bus Routes Are Virtually Non Existent
Image source: anon, magnific (not the actual photo)
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