Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site topaz.RUTGERS.EDU Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!ihnp4!qantel!dual!lll-crg!gymble!umcp-cs!seismo!columbia!topaz!SRA From: SRA@MIT-XX.ARPA Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: Light-saber construction... Message-ID: <3895@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> Date: Thu, 3-Oct-85 15:02:24 EDT Article-I.D.: topaz.3895 Posted: Thu Oct 3 15:02:24 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 6-Oct-85 05:32:40 EDT Sender: daemon@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 22 From: Rob Austein The point about Sinclair monofilament and high temperatures is a good one. We know for a fact that a large field of Tnuctipun Sunflowers will generate enough energy to burn/melt/whatever it through. Shadow square wire may be a better choice since it is demonstrably more durable (it didn't even break when the Liar crashed into it, it just pulled loose from its mountings). Of course it may be that shadow square wire is really just superconducting monofilament and that it uses the shadow squares as heat sinks. In that case, maybe the reason it takes training to use a lightsaber is that you have to learn how to dispose of all that heat (via the Force, of course) before your hand fries (now we know what happened to Darth). The mirror itself is obviously held in position by reactionless thrusters (which may run off of the generated heat mentioned above); the laser beam provides navigational data for the thrusters and looks impressive to scare off the peons. The real cutting is done by the monofilament. Since the laser doesn't have to be that all high energy for this you don't have to worry about blinding people either. --Rob Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com