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!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!columbia!topaz!rlk From: rlk@ATHENA.MIT.EDU Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: protector psychology Message-ID: <3186@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> Date: Thu, 8-Aug-85 13:14:05 EDT Article-I.D.: topaz.3186 Posted: Thu Aug 8 13:14:05 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 11-Aug-85 04:33:17 EDT Sender: daemon@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 18 From: rlk@ATHENA.MIT.EDU Rob Austein's response doesn't work, because Brennan didn't worry about his bloodline either and he got the original tree-of-life. What Niven also didn't cover in Ringworld Engineers was that not saving the Ringworld would be the same as killing 3E13 hominids more surely than using the meteor defense to save the ringworld -- people might survivie the radiation, but wouldn't possibly survive the sun (or shadow squares, or whatever). So I suppose the canonical answer of poetic license is it. PS Why didn't the library on Pak have any reference to the ringworld being built? It did have the reference to the expedition to Earth, which was much smaller. Robert^Z