A closer look
Pinball is not a game of random, chaotic silver ball bouncing; it's a meticulously calculated physics exam disguised by flashing neon lights. Legendary designers map out 'shot geometry'—the exact angles and kinetic energy required for a ball struck by a flipper to travel up a ramp and orbit perfectly back to the exact same flipper. In the highest-selling pinball machine of all time, Lawlor engineered the ramps so that if you hit the right spot, the ball is fed directly back to your bat, allowing players to chain loops endlessly in an intoxicating state known as 'flow.'
