2603 Sinclair Intersystem Yacht— See Sinclair Intersystem Yacht 2603.

A-T Officer— see Alien Technologies Officer

Abel— Human male Flatlander, circa 2366 a crew member on the Angel's Pencil. ["The Warriors"]

air plants— A product of Tnuctipun biological engineering, this plant is highly efficient at recycling air in spacecraft and small sealed habitats. ["The Handicapped"]

Editorial Note: Literary

air rocket— Robot booster rockets with huge wings, powered by air compressed nearly to degenerate matter, were used to launch spaceships from Earth in 2645. This avoided use of destructive fusion drives. ["Flatlander"]

Alien Technologies Officer— (abbreviated A-T Officer) A Kzin aboard the Tracker, which attacked the Angel's Pencil circa 2366. ["The Warriors"]

aliens— see Altair One, Bandersnatchi, Chunquen, Grogs, Kzinti, Martians, Outsiders, Pierin, Puppeteers, Thrintun, Tnuctipun, Trinocs

alloplasty— A surgical operation in which a synthetic material replaces a body part or tissue. Development of artificial organ technology, prior to circa 2329, helped reduce the organ bank problem, and led to revolution on Plateau. [A Gift from Earth, "The Ethics of Madness"]

Alpha Centauri— The suns of the Human colonies of Wunderland and the Serpent Stream asteroid belt. Alpha Centauri is a triple star system, the closest stars to earth at 4.37 light years. The three stars are designated Alpha Centauri A, B, and C (hereafter αC A, αC B, and αC C). αC A is a G2 star (similar to Sol) of 1.1 solar masses. αC B is a dimmer, orange K0-1 V star of 0.907 solar mass, in a highly elliptical orbit, varying between 11.2 AU and 35.6 AU. αC C is a dim, distant red dwarf; an M5.5 Ve star of 0.123 solar mass orbiting at 0.21 light years. Wunderland orbits αC A at 1.32 AU. The Serpent Stream asteroids are unevenly distributed, bunched together in a crescent-shaped swarm, in a highly elliptical orbit around αC A. Their orbital resonance is determined by the orbit of αC B. [1]

Altair One— Home to an unnamed species encountered by the Kzinti Empire prior to circa 2366. According to the Kzinti, they had a "funny religion" and believed they could travel in time. When the Kzinti landed to take them as slaves, they had all vanished. The Kzinti believed they had disintegrated themselves, although no disintegrators were found. ["The Warriors"]

Editorial Note: Continuity

Detail of Angel's Pencil Copyright © 2007 by Adam Burch

Angel's Pencil— An experimental Human safe ramscoop starship, the fourth colony ship to We Made It, propelled by a photon drive (also called light-pressure drive) at a cruising speed of 0.8 lightspeed. It was launched from Sol System circa 2355, and circa 2366 made first contact with the Kzinti when it was attacked by the Tracker. It had a broad, wide ring encircling a cylindrical axis, like a mechanical pencil floating inside a platinum bracelet "halo". The habitat ring was spun for spin-induced gravity. It carried a crew of 12, including Sue Bhang, Dr. Jim Davis, Ann Harrison, Steve Weaver, and Abel. ["The Warriors"]

Anne-Marie— see Papandreou, Anne-Marie

antigravity— An account in 2880 mentions both Humans and Kzinti using antigravity for flying vehicles [2], and Hindmost referred to the technology as a "negative gravity generator" [3]. Presumably lift belt motors and aircars' lift units use this technology to fly. Just when this technology came into use in Human Space is not clear, but lift belts were documented in 2641. Antigravity may have been in use as early as circa 2450, when artificial gravity technology was coming into widespread use. [Ringworld Engineers ch. 7, 8]

antimatter— Normal matter is composed of normal subatomic particles: protons, electrons and neutrons. Contrariwise, antimatter is composed of antiparticles: antiprotons, positrons (anti-electrons) and antineutrons. When matter and antimatter are brought into contact, the result is a nuclear explosion in which most of the matter is converted to energy, with the remainder emitted as hard radiation (such as gamma rays). Thus the explosion is much more powerful than a nuclear bomb, in which only a few percent of the radioactive mass is converted to energy. Antimatter does not form naturally in quantity in our Milky Way galaxy, although particles can be created artificially. [Spoiler alert: "Flatlander"] A large quantity of antimatter can even destroy a General Products hull, which otherwise is virtually indestructible. ["Flatlander"]

antimatter planet— [Spoiler alert: "Flatlander"] A planet from outside the galaxy made of antimatter, orbiting the Fast Protosun. It is a cold, highly radioactive world whose crust has been scoured away. Despite its extreme velocity, 0.8 lightspeed, it has almost no cratering. Helium II lifeforms were spotted on the side of the planet away from its direction of travel. This planet was surveyed in 2645 by Gregory Pelton and Beowulf Shaeffer after Pelton asked the Outsiders about the location of the most unusual planet in Known Space. It was said the planet and the Fast Protosun would pass out of Known Space only ten years later. ["Flatlander"]

Argos— The passenger starship on which Beowulf Shaeffer took passage from Down to Gummidgy in 2647. It was captained by Margo Tellefsen. Among its passengers were Emil Horne, a Dolphin named Moby Dick, Grogs, and the Kdatlyno artist Lloobee. ["Grendel"]

ARM— Acronym for Amalgamated Regional Militia. The elite police force of the UN. They had authority to investigate only certain types of criminal activities, but in those areas their authority was absolute. They investigated organlegging and dangerous technologies, but the most important function of the ARM was enforcement of Earth's Fertility Laws (see Fertility Board).

artificial gravity— In 2367, at the beginning of the First Man-Kzin War, the Kzinti had already been using gravity generators for centuries or perhaps millennia. By the Second War, circa 2450, they were coming into extensive use in Human space [4]. Applications include antigravity, the gravity polarizer, sleeping plates, and rooms with gravity levels individually set, both on spaceships [5] and planets [6]. ["The Warriors", "Borderland of Sol", Ringworld Engineers ch. 7]

artificial organs— Development of artificial organ replacements, shortly before 2329, helped reduce the organ bank problem, and led to revolution on Plateau. [A Gift from Earth]

asymmetric beard— The mark of a Human male Wunderlander aristocrat. A one-tuft goatee with a waxed spike; the other side is shaved clean. Worn by Sigmund Ausfaller and Dr. Richard Schultz-Mann, among others. ["Neutron Star", "A Relic of the Empire", "Flatlander"]

Sigmund Ausfaller Copyright © 1997 by The Icon Factory

Ausfaller, Sigmund— Human male Flatlander, variously identified as an agent of the UN, the Bureau of Alien Affairs, and the Extremely Foreign Relations Bureau. Siggy dressed and acted like a gentleman. In 2641 he was middle-aged and wore an asymmetric beard. That year he thwarted a plan by Beowulf Shaeffer to steal the Skydiver. ["Neutron Star"]

"Shipdoc" by Michael Blum Copyright © 1984 by Chaosium

autodoc— In use by 2126, a full-sized autodoc is a machine like a giant coffin into which a patient climbs for sophisticated, automated medical care. In 2353, at the time the most complex unit ever built was aboard a safe ramscoop starship. It could create its own biochemicals, plastiskin and artificial organs. It could cure anything, and theoretically keep someone young and healthy indefinitely; and could perform manicures, haircuts, and massage. By 2355 surgery was normally done by autodocs instead of Human doctors, and on the Angel's Pencil, a huge autodoc covered the back wall of the infirmary. Smaller, more limited machines also existed; see desk doc. ["ARM", "The Ethics of Madness", "The Warriors", "Flatlander", "Grendel"]

autokitchen— A sophisticated system for producing a variety of food and drink from basic chemicals. The user dials a selection from the menu of choices. Usually found as part of a starship's life support system, where recycled sewage is used for raw materials. In use by 2353, sometimes called simply "kitchen". ["The Ethics of Madness", "A Relic of the Empire"]

autopilot— Although navigating in hyperspace requires a mass pointer and a living pilot, apparently a starship on a well-surveyed route can be steered on a pre-set course by an autopilot. They also steer ships in normal space; during his 2641 flyby survey of neutron star BVS-1, Beowulf Shaeffer referred to his ship being steered by "my faithful metal watchdog." See also Pregnant Banana, translator. ["Neutron Star", "At the Core"]

Editorial Note: Continuity

Footnotes

[2] "Flying on ringworld-floor-repulsors was not like using antigravity, Louis noted" (Ringworld Engineers ch. 8, p. 72). Since both Louis and Chmeee were apparently familiar with piloting vehicles using this tech, thiis strongly suggests those were in common use in both Human Space and the Kzinti Empire. Note Humans obtained artificial gravity technology from the Kzinti, and by circa 2450 artificial gravity technology was coming into widespread use in Human Space.

[3] Speaking to Chmeee, Hindmost says "You may fly as if using a negative gravity generator..." (Ringworld Engineers ch. 7, p. 64).

[4] "Canon for the Man-Kzin Wars", Scatterbrain p. 294

[5] Aboard the starship Lying Bastard, "Louis and Teela had developed a taste for the kzin's cabin: for the slightly higher gravity..." (Ringworld ch. 8, p. 103).

[6] "...the Camelot Hotel [on Jinx], which has gravity generators in most of the rooms" ("The Borderland of Sol", Tales of Known Space p. 155).