[T]his season a Knicks ticket can be checked for authenticity even on a dim street corner: if it tears anywhere but at the proper perforation, it's a fake. That's because they're printed on a synthetic paper called Yupo, which was developed by Japan's Oji-Yuka Synthetic Paper Company for maps, outdoor advertising, children's books, medical devices, and other things that shouldn't tear. (Oji-Yuka's U.S. subsidiary, Yupo, manufactures the tickets for the basketball team.) The manufacturer claims that the paper, which is made of extruded polypropylene and calcium carbonate, is ... waterproof, scuff-resistant, and recyclable.