[Resent to [email removed] (the correct address) - James]
I think the most likely source for the frictionless toilet is Niven and
Pournelle's _The_Mote_in_God's_Eye_.
About the short stories involving buckyballs and the acids: That was part of a
Man-Kzin Wars collection (edited by Niven). I'm not sure who the author was,
though. Buckyballs are not only possible, but have been developed: their
presence in the story was most likely influenced by their discovery. There
was an article in Scientific American about them, not too long ago. They are
not frictionless, but low-friction, like the other things that have been
discussed here.
UUCP: {crash, kksys}!orbit!pnet51!jduffin | Life is complex. It's made
ARPA: [email removed] | up of real and imaginary
INET: [email removed] | parts.