The Fun Theory Award

The Fun Theory goes that the easiest way to change people's behavior for the better is by using fun. This initiative, courtesy of Volkswagen, has people inventing fun ways of doing mundane things we know we should but can't seem to remember. Here's a good example of what it's all about:

A whopping 2,500 Euros is on the line to prove that fun can have all sorts of good effects. From now until December 15, anyone can enter to win the Fun Theory Award by demonstrating the theory, both in writing and in visualized form (as simple as a sketch).

Here are some ideas already in contention:

A fun way of getting people to recycle bottle caps would be to build a game of Connect Four into the side of the beer crate in which you return your empties.A fun way to make people buy tickets for public transit is to make each one a lottery ticket — every time you ride you've got a chance of winning the jackpot, and when you do, the whole bus erupts into a party.A fun way to help people get exercise is to install giant foot-operated pinball machines in bus shelters so passengers waiting for a ride might get their stair-step pinball on.A fun way to get people to shred used paper is to have it blown like confetti into a giant snow globe after it's shredded. Like so: