When we think of a genius idea, we typically think of something ambitious enough to actually change the world. Even if the results are small, the idea and the scope of what the product can be used for are so huge that the possibilities can seem endless.
However, there has be a level below these lofty heights that is still worth celebrating. Just because they didn’t ripple throughout the world, that doesn’t mean the things the people on this list thought of aren’t impressive in their own right.
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And so, let’s take a moment to highlight some cleverness that people obviously needed in their lives.
When the radiator fans on this bus went out, the driver came up with a clever, makeshift solution.
Not only did they strap these house fans in, but they also used these Tupperware bins as air scoops.
This probably isn’t street legal, but that’s a problem for when you aren’t feeling yourself cook in the middle of nowhere.
And when another air vent broke indoors, someone else had their own idea.
Rather than using Tupperware to direct airflow, they figured it would be a lot easier to just jam a snow shovel in here and use the handle to guide it.
Moving can be a major pain at the best of times, but it’s even more nightmarish if you’re moving everything up to an apartment.
However, it apparently gets a little easier in some parts of Europe thanks to ladder lifts like this one.
Sure, it only works for stuff that can fit through the window, but it still cuts down on a lot of moving back and forth.
This movie theater art piece gets even more impressive when you realize both pictures are showing the same thing.
Apparently, whether you see heroes or villains depends entirely on what angle you approach this mural from. After all, it’s a matter of perspective to determine whether we can say we’re dealing with a hero or a villain.
This beer can gives you instructions on how to turn the pull tab into a fishing hook.
Granted, it’s unclear how much weight the MacGyvered hook can actually support, but it’s better than nothing for those situations where you’ve run out of hooks, but not enthusiasm.
When your car doesn’t feel like defrosting anymore, there are a few options at your disposal.
Apparently, people in a similar situation have been able to make anything from this piece of pipe to cardboard coffee cups work.
As long as it can redirect airflow back to your windshield, it should do the job.
When these clothes sellers had to move out of this building, they held a blowout sale that saw over 1,000 coats attached to the building’s façade.
And apparently, all of these coats ended up being sold, so the incredible effort this must have taken seemed to pay off.
It definitely takes some creative thinking to advertise a vasectomy service, but I think these guys nailed it.
After all, when someone is fumbling with their kid’s messy diapers, the last thought that tends to go through their heads is, “Boy, I can’t wait for a part of my life where I have to do this again.”
While a good stick can certainly making roasting hot dogs over a campfire easier, this person was able to put theirs to work even harder.
A nice toasted bun can certainly add to the experience and that’s what this person saw the opportunity to do here.
This pizza shop makes things a little easier on the environment by putting their coupons in the boxes themselves.
That way, there’s no additional flyer that customers might feel inclined to just throw away anyway. Pretty smart!
This staircase can be found at a middle school.
Although it’s obviously seen better days and has a couple of minor spacing issues, it’s a cute and colorful way to help kids remember their multiplication tables.
It’s unclear what city this school is in, but it takes a similar idea as the math steps in a different direction.
This time, the stairs have words of encouragement in each language known to be spoken in the city.
Granted, “We go high” doesn’t quite mean the same thing as “forza, avanti” (a very powerful-sounding way of saying “go ahead” in Italian), but it’s a neat idea all the same.
This person was able to prove that their work equipment has enough room in its design for a drink holder.
And all they had to do was stick a roll of tape to it to make that obvious. And there’s a little room in this setup to spare, too.
That should at least fit a small coffee.
This person apparently left their painting shoes at home, so they had to think of a quick solution.
And so, to prevent any permanent messes on any of their footwear, they instead covered their feet in masking tape.
Duct tape is supposed to work too, but the results seem less sweaty this way.
If you can’t accomplish it with duct tape, then you probably can with a zip tie.
Funnily enough, this little solution is probably better at keeping the phone in place than some of the holders that are actually designed for this purpose.
While nailing the shower curtain to the wall seems like a risky move, the other decision they made here is pretty genius.
Whatever it is that happened to the shower head holder, it could apparently be seamlessly replaced by a potato masher.
Who knew?
While the message behind this statue is certainly nice, it also seems like some cost-effective art.
After all, it sounds like the artist only needed enough material for one statue in order to make two.
That’s some good thinking.
The employees of a landscaping company apparently built this themselves and it seems to serve their purposes well.
Not only were they able to keep the lawnmower running after attaching a wheelbarrow to it, but the barrow can actually dump from that position.
Pretty cool, honestly.
With a little drilling, any bottle with a plastic cap can comfortably fit a straw.
And in case you’re wondering what the point of this is when you can just take off the cap, this apparently makes it easier for the uploader’s four-year-old child to use.
Depending on the working hours you keep, you may be pretty pleased to learn this clock exists.
When it’s not strictly nine-to-five, things can get a little confusing and a little reminder of what day you actually woke up on could be helpful.
It’s unclear how this train car ended up on this back road in Georgia (the Eastern European country, not the U.S. state), but someone made sure it wasn’t just collecting dust.
This way, it still doesn’t have to do anything, but now it’s helping people cross this stream just by sitting here.
I’m not sure what happened to their speakers before someone got this idea, but they have an interesting replacement on their hands.
Apparently, Geddy Lee from Rush also used to put washing machines on stage just so his side of the stage wouldn’t look bare without amps because he plugged directly into the PA.
Apparently, this gum package comes with its own “post-chew” wraps to make the gum more convenient to throw away.
I’m a big believer in using my gum wrappers for this purpose, but it’s not so easy to do that when you have one of those containers that just piles the pieces together.
At least, it wasn’t.
