Hi-Tech Hijinks Employed to Make the Planet Cleaner

A group of merry prankster engineers from Sweden, called The Fun Theory, have been polluting the Intertubes with a series of videos that use a simple premise: Can we engage people in positive green behaviors (not littering, recycling) by making it fun?

The answer is simple: For sure, if you turn the behaviors into a video game. In the Bottle Bank Arcade game, the more you offer the machines recyclables, the more points you get. It rewards that reptilian part of our brains that craves bells and flashing lights and sends millions to Vegas each year.

The same group installed piano sound triggers in a staircase to encourage travelers to use the stairs instead of the escalator. The whole thing is sponsored by Volkswagen, so don't be surprised if you get that weird sensation of Fahrvergnügen while watching their videos ...