Ringworld on the other hand did have a basis in science. A bit adolescent, but a fun read and will not make you dumber for having read it. (Dune does)
Niven's "Known Space" is a much larger backdrop than Frank Herbert's Dune series offers... lot's more to explore. Not just the Ringworld, but large tangential stories such as the wars between mankind and the Kzinti. It'd be a shame if Niven's work never made it further into the video entertainment world than an animated episode of Star Trek. It's far better than that.
I’ve been hoping that someone would tackle Larry Nivens Ringworld series. The team behind the SyFy channel Expanse series would be a good candidate.