The Euthanasia Coaster
There has been much debate over whether or not euthanasia should be legal over the years, Euthanasia, of course, meaning “mercy-killing” or “the practice of ending a life in a manner which relieves pain and suffering”. Many doctors (most famously the controversial Jack Kevorkian), believe that it is an honorable and compassionate practice for men and women who are terminally ill and want to end their lives. Others (most famously the family of Terry Shiavo) believe that it is murder, and no doctor should be allowed to take part in the practice.
Needless to say, if they saw this design for the Euthanasia Coaster (above), I would fail to understand how they couldn’t agree that strapping a dying patient into it and sending them hurtling into death would be the most glorious way to die ever. According to the designer, Julijas Urbonas, the ride is designed to take the patient’s life by starving the brain of oxygen. He also says,
“Euthanasia Coaster” is a hypothetic euthanasia machine in the form of a roller coaster, engineered to humanely – with elegance and euphoria – take the life of a human being. 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. Thanks to the marriage of the advanced cross-disciplinary research in space medicine, mechanical engineering, material technologies and, of course, gravity, the fatal journey is made pleasing, elegant and meaningful.
Can you picture a frail old man, with cataracts and severe Alzheimer’s, being given a perfect day full of oh, I don’t know, cotton candy, driving around in a Model-T from his childhood, a BJ from a super hot Playboy model, and then just at sunset, a ride on the most fun rollercoaster in the world – one that would take his painful life and end it in the most badass way possible?
It might just be a drawing for now, but we say GO JULIJONAS, cause I would totally go out in a blaze of glory on that thing!
