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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.
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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