8/20/2019 Roller Coaster of Death

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Name : _____________________________Class : ______________ Date : __________ 

ROLLER COASTER OF DEATHBY LAURA SECORUN PALET - SEPT 022015

Death is terrifying, so why notmake it exhilarating instead? That’sthe purpose of the “EuthanasiaCoaster,” a giant bigdipper designaimed at taking its passengersthrough a series of extreme drops

and loops that would !reateeuphoria and then kill them bystar"ing the brain of oxygen#

This ma!abre in"ention is the brain!hild of $ithuanian engineer %uli&onas'rbonas, who designed it in ()*) as a +h#D# !andidate in design intera!tions atthe oyal College of -rt in $ondon# 'rbonas, who de"eloped a roman!e foramusement parks during the years he worked at one, saw this horrormo"ies!enario as an alternati"e death ritual propelling people to the afterlife, as heputs it, “humanely with elegan!e and euphoria#” .o one’s a!tually built it yet,ex!ept as a s!ale model#

-t the top, there would be time to say a prayer or blow a kiss to relati"es /orbail0 before pressing the “fall” button#

1ere’s how the world’s oddest sui!ide method would work2 3irst the rider wouldfa!e a long, slow !limb up to more than 4)) meters, gi"ing him or her a fewminutes to think ba!k on life and !ontemplate the de!ision# -t the top, therewould be time to say a prayer or blow a kiss to relati"es /or bail0 before pressingthe “fall” button and plummeting into the long steep plunge followed by the first56)degree loop# That’s where most riders would die#

-!!ording to 'rbonas, tra"eling at *)) meters per se!ond, the person wouldexperien!e a 7for!eindu!ed loss of !ons!iousness due to !erebral hypoxia /la!kof oxygen rea!hing the brain0, whi!h often !auses a sense of euphoria# %ust in!ase that first one didn’t do it, six more !onse!uti"e loops would finish the &ob#8uilding the stru!ture would be a !hallenge# The Euthanasia Coaster would bemore than three times the height of the world’s tallest roller !oaster, the 9ingda9a, whi!h took *: months and ;(4 million to !onstru!t#

Enl!s" Lan#ae De$a%tment 201& Ce'a% (!%ls) Se*+n'a%, S*"++lS#$$lementa%, Rea'!n ate%!al

http://www.julijonasurbonas.lt/http://www.julijonasurbonas.lt/http://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/pilotsafetybrochures/media/hypoxia.pdfhttp://www.coaster-net.com/ride-gallery/225-kingda-ka/http://www.faa.gov/pilots/safety/pilotsafetybrochures/media/hypoxia.pdfhttp://www.coaster-net.com/ride-gallery/225-kingda-ka/http://www.julijonasurbonas.lt/http://www.julijonasurbonas.lt/

8/20/2019 Roller Coaster of Death

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