Roller Coaster Engineered for Fatal Rides: The Deadly Thrill Ride Concept
In the world of art and design, Lithuanian engineer and artist Julijonas Urbonas proposed an intriguing concept in 2010 - the euthanasia coaster. This roller coaster, designed to induce death through cerebral hypoxia (oxygen deprivation to the brain) caused by extreme g-forces during rapid inversions, has sparked debate and discussion around euthanasia, death, and the ethics of assisted dying.
The euthanasia coaster, a theoretical proposal rather than a real amusement ride, features a steep initial drop followed by a series of loops that exert high g-forces on passengers, ultimately causing loss of consciousness and death in a controlled manner. Urbonas collaborated with scientists and experts from areas like aerodynamics in designing this conceptual ride.
The euthanasia coaster is intended to provoke thought and discussion, rather than to be built or operated. It has not been realized physically due to obvious ethical, legal, and safety concerns. There is no evidence that it has been constructed or is in development as an actual device.
The euthanasia coaster shares a conceptual overlap with physician-assisted suicide, which typically involves a licensed medical professional providing a patient with the means to end their own life, usually through prescribed lethal medication, under regulated legal frameworks in some countries and jurisdictions. The euthanasia coaster, by contrast, is a mechanized, indirect method of self-administered death through engineering means rather than pharmaceuticals.
The euthanasia coaster has been the subject of a fictional short movie, "H Positive," created by film director Glenn Paton. The movie tells the story of a man building a euthanasia coaster, mirroring the conceptual design by Urbonas.
Despite its provocative nature, the euthanasia coaster remains a theoretical concept and not a medically sanctioned or legally accepted method akin to physician-assisted suicide. As of the time of publication, no actual euthanasia coaster exists or is currently planned beyond conceptual and artistic discussions.
References: [1] Urbonas, J. (2010). Euthanasia Coaster. Retrieved from https://www.urbonas.net/projects/euthanasia-coaster/ [2] Paton, G. (Director). (2021). H Positive [Film]. Retrieved from https://www.hpositivefilm.com/
The euthanasia coaster, a conceptual design by Julijonas Urbonas and his collaborators, shares an association with physician-assisted suicide, but instead of pharmaceuticals, it employs technology to facilitate a controlled self-administered death through engineering means. Unlike physician-assisted suicide, which is medically sanctioned and legally accepted in some locales, the euthanasia coaster remains a theoretical idea and hasn't been built or planned for operation.
