"QUANTUM SHOT" #257 article by Rachel Abrams - link
Don't have eggs for breakfast!
The world's wildest roller coasters are crouching in the theme park wilds, ready to uncoil and strike the visitors with an irresistible adrenaline rush, the only addiction without any noticeable side-effects (other than a crazed look).
By the way, if you want to share your facial contortions with others, there is a Flickr pool devoted entirely to the "roller coaster faces".
Best roller coaster is the one you build yourself
What to do if you live three hours away from a decent roller coaster (such as the one in West Edmonton Mall)? You may want to consider the "do it yourself" type, though we can't make any guarantees that this will increase your property value. We can assure you it will increase the cost of your liability insurance, however.
This isn't something for us condo dwelling folk; but if any of our acreage owning friends feel inspired, by all means build one and we'll toddle along for the fun of watching you wipe out. And anyway, someone has to tell the ambulance where to go!
And then there is always this low cost, high thrill option, though don't attempt it without the training wheels... or when the carts are running... or maybe not ever:
Do you have "The Right Stuff"?
Moving on to the Big Kahunas of steel and speed: the official tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world is Kingda Ka, in Six Flags Great Adventure park in New Jersey. It hits 128 miles an hour in 3.5 seconds, and the tower is 456 feet tall.
The similar one is Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio:
(images courtesy of Cedar Point, All Rights Reserved.)
Watch it in action:
So... now that you've waited four hours, ridden for thirty seconds (or so) and changed your pants, how about a ride which is just a touch more interesting?
The 4th dimension roller coasters are taking over theme parks around the world, from Six Flags Magic Mountain, and Eejanaika in Japan, to the brand new Galaxy Orbiter in West Edmonton Mall in Canada. This roller coaster not only whirls through the loops, but each cart additionally rotates 360 degrees, guaranteed to scramble even veteran coaster riders. Eejanaika is the fastest and longest, with the most inversions, 14 in total (although this number is in dispute).
X - the World's First "Xtreme" Coaster, at Six Flags Magic Mountain:
The added spinning effect was introduced on the "Arrow Dynamics" prototype in 2002, raising the bar for outstanding roller coasters ever since. For a great review and stats of this coaster, visit Ultimate Roller Coaster.com (images by permission of Eric Gieszl):
For the sheer inventiveness and attention to detail, it's hard to beat the "Expedition Everest" Ride in Orlando's Animal Kingdom. While the admission line could still be lengthy (this popular attraction opened in 2005, see construction pics here), various re-created trappings of a Nepalese village help to pass the time. And then, of course, there is this Mountain... Trust me, you'll be surprised a couple of times, while passing through this Everest imitation, and I am not telling by what.. or by whom :)
It all starts with a nice Nepalese truck at the village:
and then you hear the rumble, mixed with screams:
(photos by Avi Abrams)
It may not be the fastest, or the "twistiest" roller coaster, but I certainly recommend it for the cool environment and a few "surprises".
Life in the Slow Lane
Another record-breaker from Japan - this time the world's slowest... If all the excitement, shown above, is too much for your stomach to handle, try the somewhat gentler "Walking Roller Coaster". Don't worry, it has its own fear factor - from the primitive look of the carts which you are supposed to control, to the great heights you navigate on flimsy rails. A good choice for the exercise conscious individuals, out for a thrill.
"The Skycycle" at Washuzan Highland Park in Okayama:
Supposedly each cart has brakes as well as pedals, so you don't crash into anyone.
...including our reaction to sudden twists and accelerations. For the whole series of shots, taken by Yvan Dalain at the "Geister-Express" in Zürich, 1956, visit this page:
We are fully aware that roller coasters are big and famous beasts, easy to identify, nevertheless here is a picture of one (pretty interesting) structure - see if you can name it.
UPDATE This coaster is located in Yokohama, Japan; just 30 minutes south of Tokyo.
This article is a start of a series, so tip us on some other cool rides to try out.
You might want to check out the Insanity and the X-Scream at the Stratosphere Hotel in Las Vegas.
The Insanity has 4 rotating cars that swing out to face the ground as the ride rotates. The arm the ride is built on then swings out over the Las Vegas Strip so that you're suspended about 1100 feet in the air. Completely...well...insane. I ride it every time I go to Vegas.
The X-Scream is basically a 40 foot long piece of roller coaster track which they lift up and dump over the side of the building. There's nothing quite like facing the ground below when you can't see the end of the track! Then, just for good measure they lift the track and shake it a bit before pulling you back in.
I've been on X at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Problem is that I'm a really tall guy, so my legs are longer than others. My legs felt like they were going to pop-off on that roller coaster. I almost knee'd myself in the face, it was total chaos for me. Goliath is way more fun, and the lines can be really short, like, 5 minute wait short.
The "into the water" coaster is definitely in Yokohama, Japan; just 30 minutes south of Tokyo. It's a part of a little amusement park that's by they're cool and touristy water-front area. I went on it last year, and remember it as being way fun, but over way to fast!
the Tatsu coaster in Six FLags Magic mountain would be good for the next one in the series - you get to fly like superman - and see the ground/sky with noting between you. Amazing ride!! http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/coasters/yellowpages/coasters/tatsu_sfmm.shtml
There's a coaster like the one you show from Edmonton here in the Twin Cities. It's at the Mall of America, in what is now called "Nickelodeon Universe" but was originally "Camp Snoopy". Was initially called the Timberland Twister, but I think it got renamed when the park got rebranded for Nickelodeon. Hubby has been on it, and greatly enjoyed it. He likes roller coasters. I am content to watch them from the ground. ;-)
I'm particularly intrigued by the picture of HMCS Halifax's fo'csle, though - who's the poor blighter who has to go out and drop the fence onto the deck to save it from being ripped off the gunwales? It looks like there's a cable to strap on to, but I wouldn't be to chuffed with that detail!
One cubic meter of water weighs one ton. If a storm wave 12 meters high hits a ship, you can count on 6 tons of force per square meter, which is less than half the structual strength of large vessels (15 tons per square meter). But...rogue waves hit with an estimated force of 100 tons per square meter.
Many factors determine damage to any given ship under rogue wave conditions: stress fatigue (the structural stress brought about by doing what ships do), compressive strength (the ability to fight crushing forces of the wave), longtitudinal bending stress, shearing (tangent to the main body) stress, progressive stress (at the point where ships load and unload cargo), operational error and possible cargo shift, to name a few.
I reckon it would be impossible to retro-fit the world's ships to withstand such an onslaught. The best we can hope for is an early warning system enabling ships to get out ...wayyyy out...of the rogue wave path.
(A snappy Navy salute to the hearty souls who bravely navigate the world's oceans every single day.)
Amazing pictures! Just wanted to add that actually despite the efforts of the 'Abeille Flandre' the sinking of the Erika did indeed cause 'a huge oil spill' seeing as the ship's sinking released thousands of tonnes of oil into the surroundings seas which killed thousands of France's birds and was a serious environmental disaster for the country. In addition, negligence towards the safety of boats like the Erika was deemed responsible for the sinking.
I believe thats is a hummingbird moth. they fly just like a hummingbird. there are several videos of them on you tube.. heres one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7SF8_OhHks&mode=related&search=
The bird / insect animal is a Hummingbird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum). A colibri (hummingbird) looks quite different - and certainly has no antennae. ;)
Could you be so kind to call them a Chimpanzee and a Gorilla instead of "monkeys"? Although they are related, therre IS a difference between Monkeys and Apes. Thank you!
What an absolutely fantastic and stunning collection of book art! I don't often feel compelled to plug other blogs, but I have blogged it on this occassion!
I did a smaller blog on some artistically recycled books a while ago you may be also interested in, you can find that here
For anyone who'd like a copy of the Codex Seraphinianus, you can get a reprint from http://www.internetbookshop.it/code/9788817013895/SERAFINI-LUIGI/CODEX-SERAPHINIANUS.html
Though unless you speak Italian you'll need to take a few visits to your translation tool of choice. Also note when ordering that the choice of Spanish or Italian refers only to a small informative booklet you get in a plastic sleeve inside the back cover. I assume it's informative but to a non-Italian speaker like me it's as undecipherable as the codex itself.
Fanstastic book by the way, it's huge (atlas sized) and beautifully drawn. It will have pride of place on my coffee table should I ever buy a coffee table.
Just to let you know that the link to Peter Callesen's paper-based art in your older post on paper-cut art "One Sheet of Paper" (8-Nov-2006) has changed. It's now at www.petercallesen.com
I often have to use 56k, and sometimes end up with only half the pictures loading; I could use the image links to Flickr, etc. if there was alt. text to provide regions to click on, but there often isn't.
I love what you've done. Very eclectic mix. I read your blog every day. I have high speed DSL and loading times are OK. RSS is very good. Don't do more tech, there's already sites for that. Keep doing what you're doing. And Thank You!
I've stood under the Convair YF2Y-1 Seadart, a jet powered sea plane, at the San Diego Air and Space Museum so knowing that designers also thought"Hey, if the one land ON the water why can't we make one that goes UNDER the water?" is no great leap. It's still pretty amazing.
Wow. I'd much rather have my tax dollars go for this kind of thing than socialized health care. Deadbeat babies or awesome flying attack stingrays? The choice isn't even close.
very cool. but as someone else mentioned, sad that the latest artist-impressions are with war in mind. How about a clear-bodied version for the ultimate sight-seeing flight?
To those who bemoan the military applications of such ideas: recreation is great, but without ways to protect your right and freedom to recreate, there won't be much use for recreation equipment. I doubt that in a global caliphate the Supreme Leader would look kindly upon such decadent recreation. Yes, overall it is a sad fact that we must defend ourselves from those who have DECLARED INTENTIONS of subjugating and/or killing all free people, but nonetheless it is a fact. I too, wish we could all live in peace, but wishing it does not make it so (when other parties do not share that wish). Just ask my ex. :)
if scanning declassified documents has made anything clear it's that when the military says they are thinking about building something it simply means they are just ready to reveal it to the public. Do not be fooled.
I've seen that Corbin Sparrow more than a few times around my house. Haven't seen it lately but a year or two ago I'd see it all the time on the way to school.
In response to some of the pictures you have posted and were interested in more information: The Mivalino small car you have pictured, I'm not sure if the ownership of the manufacturing rights on that car was just transferred over or not, but I've seen a very similar vehicle (if not the same thing, it's really, really close if not) as the Messerschmitt KR200.
The BMW Isetta: BMW also made a car very commonly mistaken as an Isetta known best as the "600 Limo" which basically was a 4-seater version of the Isetta with a slightly more powerful engine and a rear door.
under Smorgasborg of Small: The yellow car with the trailer with flowers on it is also an Isetta.
The white truck looking thing with the "Yamamoto" tire cover is a Daihatsu Midget... personally I prefer the look of the Midgets through the 50's and 60's, when they were built with only 3 wheels.
The Corbin Sparrow is an interesting car, in that it's a 3-wheeled electric 1-seater vehicle that was created for the sole purpose of being a daily commuter car to/from work... the idea was that most people drive to work alone, and most of them drive under 30 miles each day, so why drive a gasoline car when you could just have something that would scoot you back and forth for next to nothing... they were used as the "goldmember" cars in Austin Powers 3... you'll find one for sale on ebay every now and again, but normally they need batteries replaced... fewer than 300 were made because Corbin Motors filed for bankruptcy, but the rights were sold to Myers Motors who re-released them in 2005 and is still producing them.
The 7th image down in the "Unknown" category is a Morgan Super Sport, circa 1932-34. I saw one puttering about when I was stationed in the UK back in the '80s. Everyone stopped to watch the thing go whizzing by. Looked like a fun car to own and operate.
Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_Motor_Company
The HM Freeway was produced in Minnesota in the '70's. The design philosophy was, "The average passenger load in a 'full-sized' car is 1.4 people. Let's build a car that will carry that many." ie; One adult and two bags of groceries. I test drove one. It was noisy but quick. The Crosley refrigerator people built a couple different sized models in the late '40's. The engines used a number of parts common with their refrigeration compressors and could be serviced by their existing mechanics.
That red vehicle in Amsterdam en the white one which comes two pictures later, are electrical vehicles for disabled and elderly people. They have a legal max. of 25km/h
Some other kind of micro-car is frequently seen on Dutch roads which is something like small Smart, but bigger then these electrical cars. These latter vehicles have a petrol-engine, have a max. of 40km/h and you don't need a driver license for it.
The car labeled "Tri-Magnum" was built from a set of plans sold by Mechanix Illustrated magazine in the early 1980s. The car was designed by Robert Q. Riley. It is based on a motorcycle drivetrain married to a Volkswagen front end. A web search will turn up a number of examples built by various individuals around the US. Mr. Riley has his own design firm and is presently working on a hybrid descendant of the Tri-Magnum.
the one in http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=1133522911&size=o
is called a carver, by Carver Engineering. You can see ab better shot of their tilt-vehicles at http://www.carver-engineering.com/, or you can go to http://flytheroad.com/ for a proposed hybrid variant by an American company.
Are any of these available in the U.S.A ?? How much do they cost?? Do they run on gas? What kind of mileage do they get? Where can I see them in person -are they legal in Missouri? I want to know more.
Peach (& Others) The Morgan Super Sport was produced in big numbers early on due to big tax credits offered at the time, but continued production through the 50's. They're good for freeway speed (70ish) stock, but most examples that you find today can go much faster. They've always been great club racers. They handle very well. I had a couple of friends with them in the San Francisco area and they come up for sale on eBay with some regularity.
My guess is that pretty much anything that canb be registered for the road in California can be registered anywhere in the U.S. (You can certainly register things here in Florida that aren't legal there).
The Norsjö Shopper was still quite common here in Sweden when I was growing up, at the end of the eighties. With an engine of less than 50cc, delivering a single horsepower, it was classified as a moped and could be driven without a license by anyone 15 or older. By that time it was mostly used by elderly ladies living in the countryside, though, except for a few that got in the way of the popular pastime of moped-tuning and got turned into three-wheeled deathtraps.
Don't forget the CityEl (www.cityel.de) an electric vehicle capable of transporting one adult and a child around 60-100 kilometres at up to 70 km/h depending on the model
the BMW Isetta was not called by the Germans "Coffin on wheels". It was the Messerschmitt KR 175 and it was called "Schneewittchen Sarg" = Snow White's Coffin.
According to the fairytale Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs Snow White was buried in a glass coffin and the Isetta are hardly look like a coffin, but the Messerschmitt.
With the fuel prices skyrocketing, we surely will have to use these small cars.The best cars are the ones which are fuel efficient and environment friendly. http://www.latest-cars-in-the-world.blogspot.com
Is there like some sort of mini Toyota? I know there's the Aygo, but anything smaller? Such as the B.M? (This may sound weird, but I've seen Erkel [from "Family Matters"]drive a BMW lsetta), and I was wondering if there is a small car for a kid like me to legally drive. Leave any suggestions if u find any! ------------------------------------- THIS MESSAGE GOES OUT TO THE PUBLIC
I'm amazed how famous the little Peel cars are, being from the Isle of Man - makes sense - a small city car for the smallest city there is. I'd love a little one of my own!
Just another comment about the Isetta: as Udo put it, it's the Messerschmitt that is called Schneewittchensarg. The Isetta was called Knutschkugel, which means "snogging ball" according to wikipedia. I think you get the idea ;)
I wonder if you would include the Thundersley Invacar in this list! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thundersley_Invacar Now no longer seen on Britain's roads, it was a great source of amusement to us as youngsters, I have to confess.
Interestingly, lighting does not fork; it converges. The Tesla coil is, then, the terminus of the lighting, not the originator as you might think.
I learned this from a meteorological friend of mine. He said that almost all of the lightning strikes we see photographed are ground-to-sky lightning; the true sky-to-ground bolt is very rare.
Lightning and tesla coil discharges are very different things. About the only thing in common is that they are both electrically induced air plasmas.
Lightning is a pulsed DC current, produced when volumes of electrostatically charged atmosphere discharge to ground (or to another area of opposite charge.) A lighning 'strike' is usually one or more very brief, high current pulses in very quick succession. Usually too closely spaced to differentiate by eye, but sometimes you'll see a lighning bolt 'flicker' - you are seeing successive strikes along the same (or nearly same) ionisation path.
Tesla coils are high frequency AC resonant transformers, and the arcs are thus high frequency AC, with broad spectral content up into the Megahertz range due to the ringing square wave primary coil excitation. As a result, the visible behavior of tesla arcs is quite different to lightning. The processes in action are too complicated to explain in detail here, but the dominating ones are: point discharge, skin effect, persistence of ionization paths in air, charge mobility in air within the HF electric field surrounding the tesla coil head, and distortions of the field due to active plasma paths. Which all intereact to produce the 'bushy' spreading arc tangles typical of Tesla coils.
But, to address b. durbin's point, lightning (mostly) converges, but tesla arcs do actually diverge into the space around the coil, unless a single, direct arc forms to some nearby ground point. Its an AC current, and there is a single field source - the coil head. Hence, 'diverge' is a fair description.
Btw, the photo of Tesla surrounded by arcs is a double exposure he arranged. Documented, sorry don't have ref handy.
The singing Tesla Coil is from Arc Attack. To get the different tones you hear, they are turning the coil on and off at the frequency of the desired note.
"QUANTUM SHOT" #257
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14 Comments:
I believe the "into the water" coaster is the Vanish at Yokohama Cosmo World in Yokohama, Japan.
The red-and-yellow coaster in the snow is Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. It was the fastest and tallest before Kingda Ka.
Into the water I think is in Dubai, if only for the sail like builing in the back. Great series, can't wait to see the next posts!
You might want to check out the Insanity and the X-Scream at the Stratosphere Hotel in Las Vegas.
The Insanity has 4 rotating cars that swing out to face the ground as the ride rotates. The arm the ride is built on then swings out over the Las Vegas Strip so that you're suspended about 1100 feet in the air. Completely...well...insane. I ride it every time I go to Vegas.
The X-Scream is basically a 40 foot long piece of roller coaster track which they lift up and dump over the side of the building. There's nothing quite like facing the ground below when you can't see the end of the track! Then, just for good measure they lift the track and shake it a bit before pulling you back in.
Great post. That Japanese roller coaster looks like you could fall right out of it.
I've been on X at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Problem is that I'm a really tall guy, so my legs are longer than others. My legs felt like they were going to pop-off on that roller coaster. I almost knee'd myself in the face, it was total chaos for me. Goliath is way more fun, and the lines can be really short, like, 5 minute wait short.
The "into the water" coaster is definitely in Yokohama, Japan; just 30 minutes south of Tokyo. It's a part of a little amusement park that's by they're cool and touristy water-front area. I went on it last year, and remember it as being way fun, but over way to fast!
The roller coaster has been removed from the top of the Stratosphere. Was told there are plans for another type of ride
I used to ride roller coasters when I was a kid ... this post makes me want to give up the fear and go again. Great blog!
The vintage ad near the top for a "Real Roller Coaster in your own backyard" ... we had one. It was a tiny thing, but so were we.
Dad ended up crushing it with the Pontiac ... not on purpose, as far as I know.
thrilling coasters are very adventurous. the one in japan is fabulous.
the Tatsu coaster in Six FLags Magic mountain would be good for the next one in the series - you get to fly like superman - and see the ground/sky with noting between you. Amazing ride!!
http://www.ultimaterollercoaster.com/coasters/yellowpages/coasters/tatsu_sfmm.shtml
There's a coaster like the one you show from Edmonton here in the Twin Cities. It's at the Mall of America, in what is now called "Nickelodeon Universe" but was originally "Camp Snoopy". Was initially called the Timberland Twister, but I think it got renamed when the park got rebranded for Nickelodeon. Hubby has been on it, and greatly enjoyed it. He likes roller coasters. I am content to watch them from the ground. ;-)
It's called Vanish in Yokohama japan
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