Rollercoaster Human

The Rollercoaster King

Tom Lamont | Guardian | 24th October 2024 | U

Profile of a theme park wunderkind. A former crab feeder at an aquarium, as a child he was afraid of rollercoasters. He secured a job designing them thanks to his architecture degree and his prowess at the videogame Rollercoaster Tycoon. At the age of 27, he was given £18m and told to create Britain's tallest rollercoaster. The result? His "scribbled signature" of steel in the sky (6,500 words)

What Is Human Energy?

Richard Cohen | Lapham's Quarterly | 9th January 2024 | U

Despite trying for centuries, we still don't know what human energy is, on either a chemical or psychological level. Why do some people have boundless reserves of it, while others so little? How is it that it can be summoned in some moments of great stress but not others? Perhaps the better question is how we should use what we have. The ethics of energy points to a life of purpose and service (3,300 words)