Podcast
The Analytics of Thrills
Hosted by Kira Yamashita · ENGLISH
Calling all roller coaster enthusiasts and theme-park goers alike! The Analytics of Thrills dives into the data behind your favorite rides and parks, revealing how the numbers power all the twists, turns, and endless fun!
8episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
What if every park had to remove half of its coasters?
2w ago00:17:53Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Kira discusses the fun "what if" scenario of getting rid of half of the coasters in a couple of theme parks. She compares and contrasts which coasters she personally would get rid of with the coasters that would lose in each stat category, for example the shortest coasters.https://rcdb.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bad_Wolf:_The_Wolf%27s_Revenge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYIYNvc-YM0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BRGhKVoyQY https://coasterpedia.net/wiki/DarKoaster https://kids.kiddle.co/Grover%27s_Alpine_Expresshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwQTUJzHepY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI9dMHKWb-Ahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozR2hWXKRnMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCKhkRPq8rIhttps://coasterpedia.net/wiki/Verboltenhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92M6cPJfRxshttps://coasterpedia.net/wiki/Drachen_Firehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumbo_Jet_(Morey%27s_Piers)
Transcribe →Hershey Park Deep Dive
May 3000:11:08Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Kira presents a brief history of Hersheypark and then compares the coasters of Hersheypark and Hersheypark as a whole using data.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hersheyparkhttps://rcdb.com/https://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-ThingsToDo-cAmusementWaterParks-g191
Transcribe →Deep Dive into Six Flags
Apr 2800:14:24Tap to summarizeKira discusses the history of the Six Flags chain pre-merge (2024,) and highlights the differences between the statistically 'best' coasters/parks and those which are actually regarded as the best.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Flags https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wild_One_(roller_coaster) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bobcat_(roller_coaster) https://rcdb.com/ https://scnstargazer.org/9111/opinion/ranking-the-top-5-thrill-coasters-at-six-flags/ https://thecoasterkings.com/six-flags-parks-ranked/ https://chatgpt.com/
Transcribe →Safety by the Numbers
Mar 2200:10:52Tap to summarizeKira discusses the safety features of roller coasters, and how roller coaster safety has evolved over time. Kira also compares data regarding roller coaster accidents to those of everyday activities to show the chances of injury.https://bmwlawgroup.com/amusement-park-injury-statistics/#:~:text=How%20Many%20Roller%20Coaster%20Accidents,in%20Six%20Flags%20New%20England https://www.transportation.gov/NRSS/SafetyProblem https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18520277/#:~:text=Results:%20Extrapolated%20numbers%20indicate%20that,to%20the%20elbow%20or%20knee https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db466.htm https://www.hsinjurylaw.com/virginia-beach-personal-injury-attorneys.cfm https://www.denenapoints.com/death-roller-coaster-startling-united-states-statistics/#:~:text=Our%20roller%20coaster%20accident%20attorneys,One%20aortic%20laceration%2C%20and https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-theme-park-accidents-20140103-dto-htmlstory.html#:~:text=The%20analysis%20also%20found%20that:%20*%20Older,such%20as%20asthma%20or%20high%20blood%20pressure https://www.abc27.com/digital-originals/coaster-safety-the-mechanics-of-a-roller-coaster/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_roller_coaster https://webtribunal.net/blog/amusement-park-accident-statistics/#:~:text=3.,are%20caused%20by%20passengers%27%20misbehavior.&text=A%20theme%20park%20accident%20is,in%20case%20of%20a%20lawsuit
Transcribe →B&M vs. Intamin
Feb 1600:10:01Tap to summarizeKira gives a brief overview of the manufacturers B&M and Intamin and uses data to compare them.https://www.intamin.com/company/about-us/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolliger_%26_Mabillard#Notable_roller_coasters https://grokipedia.com/page/Bolliger_%26_Mabillard#roller-coaster-types https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intamin#Roller_coasters https://rcdb.com/
Transcribe →Wood vs. Steel
Jan 1800:13:35Tap to summarizeKira compares wooden and steel roller coasters, discusses the struggle of the lack of data on roller coaster costs, and examines the varying intensities of wooden and steel coasters.https://rcdb.com/https://grokipedia.com/page/Shivering_Timbers#historyhttps://grokipedia.com/page/Wildfire_(Silver_Dollar_City)#trains-and-technical-specificationshttps://www.carneerides.com/wood-roller-coaster-maintenance/#maintenance-costs-wood-vs-steel
Transcribe →What makes a "good" roller coaster?
Dec 1900:11:02Tap to summarizeKira discusses the different ride elements, both quantitative and qualitative, that have placed some roller coasters in highly ranked spots!https://rcdb.com/https://coasterbot.com/votecoasters-fullresults2024 https://captaincoaster.com/en/ranking/?page=1
Transcribe →Wait Times
Dec 600:07:55Tap to summarizeKira discusses the concept of unoccupied versus occupied waiting, looks at what the data says about how effective occupied waiting is, and suggests ways to make wait times feel shorter using occupied waiting. In addition, she talks about causes of and solutions to long ride queues.Link to study mentioned: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296325000396#s0025
Transcribe →