PhD candidate Julijonas Urbonas is studying Design Interactions at the Royal College of Art. Sounds harmless enough until you hear about his most sinister ‘hypothetical’ creation. The clue is in the name. The Euthanasia Coaster is definitely not for the faint-hearted.
Inspired by a quote from John Allen, former president of the Philadelphia Toboggan Company who said; “The ultimate rollercoaster is built when you send out 24 people and they all come back dead. This could be done, you know”. With this Julijonas set to work like Megamind constructing his eeeeevil (but equally quite genius) rollercoaster – meticulously planning each twist and turn to send riders through euphoria, thrill, tunnel vision, loss of consciousness and, eventually, death.
My brain has been having a constant argument while writing this post with one half saying “But it would be so much fun” and the other half going “Don’t be stupid, you’d be dead”
I couldn’t help thinking ‘would I? But really…would I?’ Read the rest of my post and see if you would.
Would you?
Say this hypothetical rollercoaster was made, would anyone ride it? Despite knowing their fate, would some people think they could survive? or would some just be willing to die, knowing they’re the only one who dare to try. Would you jump at the chance to be in an elite club all of your own? But then none of you could discuss the experience…because you’d be dead.
Thinking about whether or not you would is quite scary. Do a thought experiment. Let your mind wander. Don’t really think, just sit, and imagine what it would be like stood waiting to get on this rollercoaster. Thoughts that are usually suppressed by the rational part of you slip into your mind – thoughts that you never would have expected. It’s like, in thinking about the possibility, you discover a small, risk-taking part of you that you didn’t even know existed. The same part of you (not everyone) that urges you to jump from a cliff when stood up high.
I almost feel like you’d go out with the the ultimate big bang. Like you’d reach the highest state of euphoria and then it would all be over, literally.
It all seems quite appealing, until you say it out loud in words, and the rational part of your brain starts to recoil the delusion of adrenaline hunting and the thought I’m left with is just:
“it would be cool, but what would be the point in experiencing it if you couldn’t talk about it after. But then if you could, and it was a let down, that would suck”
So, would you?
badly stuffed animal 