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Autcsrgv.314 net.sf-lovers utzoo!utcsrgv!donald Fri Apr 23 13:24:21 1982 Ringworld inconsistency

After reading Niven's "Ringworld Engineers" I was wondering about the effectiveness of the ringworld's defense mechanism, which consists of a solar flare which acts as a giant laser. Assuming that the ringworld surface is 1 A.U. from its sun, it would take ~8 minutes for the laser beam to reach an object approaching the ringworld. Now this may be fine for asteroids and such things, but a hostile fleet would have ample time to maneuver out of the way of the beam after detecting the beginnings of a flare. Also, hostile ships approaching in the exact plane of the ringworld would be shielded from the laser by the ringworld itself. Thus, the laser defense does not seem to be that great at repelling boarders, quite surprising because Pak protectors would be worried about this very thing. Did Larry goof?

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