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We could put a pod on top and shoot it into space.

Lasers don't bother a GP hull in the slightest.

X-ray lasers (common weapon lasers in Known Space canon) just stop at the outside surface of a GP hull. Optical-frequency lasers go right through, since the GP synthetic is intentionally transparent in the optical frequencies of all the Puppeteer's customers. That may be the effect you're thinking of: a high-powered visible-light laser would pretty much mow down anything inside the hull, but the hull itself would be fine. Hell, you could just hose out the insides and install new fittings and gear.

The other thing that goes through a GP hull is tidal force (and, more generically, probably gravity).

But antimatter being the Kryptonite of the GP macromolecule... absolutely correct, as the Shaeffer's almost-disasterous expedition to Cannonball Express showed.

When I read the subject, I thought we'd at least get an intelligent discussion on how a Lightsaber could actually work...not this old crap with the guy lighting a cigarette again.

I at least see the lightsaber as a variation of the Variable Sword from Larry Niven's Known Space universe, where the stasis field actually emits photons of a certain frequency, causing the colored light effect.

**unless** they had Earth-like conditions at some point in the past, where life originated.

Recall the "programming error" in the survey ramrobots of Niven's Known Space: you only need those Earth-like conditions at one spot, not over the whole planet. Maybe there's the local equivalent of a Mt. Lookitthat.

Surely you mean a warship that'll start the Earth-Minbari war?

Stupid gimpy fish! Oh yeah?!! Whatta ya goin' ta do aboot it?!!!

... of the same name.

The character was the Psi Corp leader, hunting down (other) telepaths. Played by Walter Koenig of the original Star Trek.

or even like shadow square wire.

Just in case anyone hasn't gotten around to reading the books yet: shadow square wire is a very thin, very strong wire that can cut through just about anything (except a General Products hull of course).

The scrith won't be strong enough; existence of The Fist Of God proves that.

For a complete (and I mean complete - it took over a year to create) Encyclopedia to Larry Niven's Known Space, head over to http://www.oinc.net/knownspace/