A closer look

While the West was busy building jetpacks and hovertrains, Egyptian architect Ramses Wissa Wassef took a hard left into low-tech genius. He designed human-powered pedal ferries to cross the Nile, utilizing the leg-power of passengers to turn paddlewheels instead of relying on expensive, imported diesel fuel. It was an incredibly elegant solution that essentially forced commuters into a mandatory spin class just to get to work.