When was the last time you used a vending machine, especially since Covid-19? Those machines are still out there.

So the next time you travel, look for mashed potato vending machines in Singapore. Push a button, and out come the mashed potatoes, sprinkled with gravy.

In Abu Dhabi, there’s a vending machine that dispenses gold bars.

In Japan — which has the highest density of vending machines on the planet — there’s even one for live horned beetles. Folks collect them.

And at the airports in Long Beach, California, and in Las Vegas, you’ll find vending machines selling disposable masks and hand sanitizers.