Warning: This article contains discussion of assisted dying which some readers may find distressing.
In 2010, an engineer came up with an idea for a euthanasia coaster which would kill anyone who decided to take a ride on it.
Lithuanian engineer Julijonas Urbonas won an award for his hypothetical rollercoaster of death as he planned out a fatal series of twists, turns and loops which would take around 60 seconds to complete.
In the engineer's plans, there would be space for 24 people, and each one would have two buttons in front of them, one to make the coaster go and another to bring it to a halt.
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The idea was that if anyone on board pressed the button to stop it, then the ride would end for everyone.
This 1,600ft rollercoaster was designed to reach speeds of up to 223mph and put passengers on a series of seven looping tracks which would euthanise them.
With the track inverting seven times and each loop getting tighter, it's not the speed of the rollercoaster or any sort of impact that would result in the deaths of those on board.
Instead, it's these loops which subject people to G forces far above what Formula 1 drivers, who are subjected to around 6Gs when taking some corners, while Apollo 16 astronauts had to deal with a force of 7.19Gs.
This terrifying rollercoaster, on the other hand, would subject people to a whopping 10Gs.
The engineer explained: "Riding the coaster's track, the rider is subjected to a series of intensive motion elements that induce various unique experiences: from euphoria to thrill, and from tunnel vision to loss of consciousness, and, eventually, death.
"From there, you would begin experiencing a blackout, and ultimately you would eventually lose consciousness and die."
For obvious reasons, this rollercoaster was never built and certainly never used for its hypothetical purpose, so the closest you'd get to seeing it in action is a simulation which shows what that series of tighter loops would look like from the rider's perspective.
It also shows the brutal reality of a rider's corpse being removed from the ride at the end, a reminder that this is a device designed to kill the occupant.
Urbonos said that someone riding this thing would be 'pushed against the seat so much that your blood is rushed towards lower extremities' until 'no, or little, blood is left in the upper parts of your body'.
According to the man who designed this thing, that means 'your brain starts to suffocate', resulting in feelings of 'euphoria' before the person passes out and dies.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
Topics: Theme Park, Weird, Science
Joe Harker