How the corkscrew roller coaster works
The advent of steel coasters allowed designers to shape tubular steel rails in innovative ways, such as the 1975 corkscrew invention of American designer Ron Toomer.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
-
© SpaceX/Reuters; music © Ian Post/Artlist.ioSpaceX's Starship V3 megarocket launched on May 22, 2026.
-
NASA/Dryden Research Aircraft Movie CollectionAn X-15 rocket-powered research aircraft launching from a U.S. Air Force B-52, c. 1960s.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.It was a world before streaming services.Media Editor: Lauren Sims
-
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, MainzDesigning roller coasters.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Animation of a linear synchronous motor (LSM) and a linear induction motor (LIM), which use electromagnets to make roller coasters achieve rapid rates of acceleration.
-
© The University of Newcastle, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment with thanks to Jeremy Ley and Nick Parker from Light Creative (A Britannica Publishing Partner)Learn how engineers solve practical problems in the world, such as how to build airplanes, skyscrapers, and suspension bridges.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.Animation of the safety chain dog, a version of which was patented by American designer John Miller in 1910. By locking into the grooves of the ratchet rail, it prevents roller coasters from rolling backward should the lift chain break.
News •
Higher, Faster, Gnarlier: Have Roller Coasters Become Too Extreme?
• Oct. 22, 2026, 5:05 AM ET (New York Times)
Last Modification: