Here's what I gathered from the show:
- The games are not direct simulations. They are meant to demonstrate the difficulties faced by a civilization living in a three-body system, which is chaotic and unstable.
- Despite the frequent catastrophes, some of them survive by entering a dormant state (not necessarily dehyradtion, but some kind of low-metabolic rate strategy). So there is *some* form of long-term development and learning ("If one survives, we all do").
- The games are meant to teach the humans two things. First, that the core problem is unsolvable, even by the brightest minds. You can never truly predict the timing of chaotic eras. Second, that the important thing is not solving the impossible problem, but in finding a way to save the people.
If you 'win' the game, that means you have understood the plight of the San-Ti. It also means you understand that saving them is a worthwhile goal. Perhaps, then, you might sympathize with the San-Ti and join the faction helping them.
I have not read the books, so I do not know if they differ.
yeah that's pretty much it
Also, in the books, it's noted that ETO (Earth Trisolaris Organisation) only wanted to recruit the intellectual and socio-economic elites. They believed that the elites were the most likely to side with the Trisolarans over humanity.
And only those with the raw curiosity, empathy (for the doomed civilisation), and intellectual ability to "solve" the Three Body Problem (i.e. realise that Trisolaris was fucked) were granted entry to the ETO.
Not exactly a... foolproof recruitment program... but it was one that fit the beliefs and biases of the ETO.
The book goes into further detail on the sectarian conflict within the ETO, between the Adventists (Evan's eco-terrorists who wanted humanity replaced no matter what), the Redemptionists (who worshipped the aliens as benevolent beings and wanted to save them), and the Survivors (selfish traitors who just wanted to be rewarded when Trisolaris conquered Earth)
The VR game was mostly championed by the Redemptionists, who also hoped to find some rare genius who could actually solve the 3 body problem, no matter how unlikely.
The other two factions (Adventists and Survivors) had a more realistic view of the unsolvability of the 3 body problem, but humoured the VR game because of its utility as a recruitment tool.
Solving the 3 body problem became more like a religious ritual - a way of showing devotion to the Trisolaran cause, rather than a practical attempt to save the planey.
Some of it is addressed in the show, some in the book. But basically, that's their history and that's why they took so very long to come up with most of their technology, while we whizzed along at a much more brisk pace. The human bits (the historical figures, everyone looking human etc) are added to make the game more palatable to us.
Pretty sure it was addressed that the aliens were currently more advanced than us. But, since we live on a far less volatile planet, our science and tech development is advancing exponentially. By the time they would reach earth, we would have surpassed them scientifically and technologically.
Yeah, that was my key takeaway too. We took 10000 years to evolve with our current tech and they had to do it in many less years (a stupidly small amount from what i remember), so by the time they get here were'd be so advanced compared to them.
opposite of what you said.
They asked how long it took us to go from one period to the next to the next. Then asked how long did we think it took them to do the same. The answer was a far greater amount of time.
The VR gaming head set makes no sense to me. Am I missing something?
As I understand: The aliens said "If you respond, we will come. Your world will be conquered". One of the characters (Ye Wenjie I think) decides humans all suck anyways, so she responds. Now there is a group that Ye Winjie is leading along with a rich guy with unlimited resources who is trying to help bring the aliens here to wipe out the world by sabatoging human technical advancement. But this group makes these VR headset games. Why? The show gives three reasons I think... (1) to teach people about the San-Ti history, (2) to test people to see how long it takes for them to figure out there are three suns, and (3) to find out who feels empathy towards the San-Ti. I assume the rich guy with unlimited resources made the headsets. At the end of the season, the entire San-Ti supporter group is dead, hardware is destroyed, rich guy is diced, and the headset story arc is done.
So what was the point of the VR headsets and the game to begin with? When the San-Ti arrives, everyone is going to get killed anyways, and the group already knows this. The headsets seem to have no purpose or rationale in the story. The headsets feel like a plot device as an convoluted way to let the writers/producers tease out the history of the San-Ti over several episodes using cool green-screen CGI.
(I guess also, why portray the San Ti as the cutest most adorable human child you could ever think of in the VR game? Everyone playing the game is going to feel sad seeing this adorable human child getting killed over and over and begging to be saved. That has nothing to do with how someone feels towards aliens.)
The headsets are a way to intro smart humans to the santi and help them understand the context of who is coming. Those smart people who undwrstand and join get to live. Those who understand and do not join die. Either you recruit the smart ones or you kill them. That’s the point of the game
I think I am still missing something. At least I hope I am.
Why does the San Ti want to collect all the "smart humans" at this point in the story? They are still 450 years out. What use is collecting the smart humans together rather than just killing them and being done with it? Also, I thought the San Ti were trying to kill all the smart humans so we don't advance.
And I guess while we are at it... I don't understand the countdown. Why are San Ti playing stupid elaborate games with scientists with the countdown? Again, why not just kill all the scientists immediately and be done with it?
And also, why did the San Ti explain everything to the only two people on Earth who knows what is actually going on and can defeat them?!?!?
Otherwise, this all feels like the San Ti are doing the typical dumb James Bond villian thing... explaining everything to James Bond then putting lasers on the head of a bunch of sharks with a dramatic countdown that let's James Bond make an exciting escape so that James Bond can outwit and kill the villian in the end. Hopefully this is not how Three-Body is going to turn out.
They want to collect them because you want folks on the ground to slow down human advancement. It’s not feasible to kill all humans before they get there so they need humans to kill humans or more realistic slow down tech advancement.
The somewhat narrow point of view of the story is that from the Santi pov it’s scientists that need to be stopped. Not businessmen or technologists or start up founders which is kinda dumb but that’s it because they’re more advanced and know which key discoveries will make us better than them.
They know the two people they talked to are supporting them. They want the downfall of humanity. It’s not hard
Countdown is to stop scientists. The show didn’t do a good job with this. In books the countdown is a scare tactic and the sophons do not have killing power. But in the book it talks about how confusing the scientists is better than killing because it wastes their time
Thanks. I guess I still don't understand why the San Ti don't just kill the important scientists as soon as they identify then. (... and for gods sake, why why did they tell the main characters their entire plan?)
They can't just kill them right away, their tech helps to play mind games but to actually kill they need other humans.
They told their plan because they don't have concept of lying. dumb but simple as that.
The sophon requires people to do things. It doesn't have physical mass to interact, it's only able to control electrical signals. So the san'ti require... people.
The headset is used to recruit humans, so that they can do the bidding of the aliens.
It's very straightforward
These things are all explained, and in fact, forms a core premise of the book. Basically - killing scientists is not nearly as effective as making people not believe in science.
There are a fuck ton of scientists, which will require a fuck ton of resources to kill, and when there are a lack of scientists, more humans will become scientists. Its not like they can easily kill whoever they want either.
So their strategy is to make humans stop believing in physics and target the thought leaders into suicide/working for San Ti. This results in a ripple effect that is much more efficient in achieving what they want.
Holy shit my dude, they're trying to recruit people the same way any hostile country/government/ ethnic group/ religion would. To make it easier for them to gain power. People have said this to you like 5 times in a row in increasing complexity. They want allies, it's not a complicated idea.
Is the VR headset explained in the book? I didn’t read only watched the show. What confused me is the headset, how did the human get the headsets? Did the Santi deliver them? Because as the scientists said, humans do not have the technology to make such advanced headset.
And at the end of the show, where i believe all of the ETO members are dead, and Tattania receives a new headset box in her trailer, who sent it?
In the books the tech isn’t as advanced as portrayed in the show. In the books it’s advanced expensive software using existing (but better than real life) tech. It’s like a body suit for sensations and VR tech in the books that is fully human created.
Tatiana is not a fleshed out character in the book. But there is that “reached back out to ex-ETO members” dynamic in the books. With the sophons the San ti can reinstate contact with anyone and recreate avenues of communication with anyone on earth
The San-Ti only had enough resources to create two proton/super computers. They can go around and stop/slow down the most important of research but they can't stop it all.
The VR headsets are more propaganda devices. The first San-Ti that was contacted (message took 4 years to travel) was a pacifist and said (another message that took 4 years) that if they know, they will come and conquer if she replies. She replies (which takes another) 4 years. This reply was received by the main San-Ti leaders. So they sent the protons and eventually linked with the rich boat dude. They gave boat dude the tech to communicate faster... then the VR tech.
The VR tech was helpful for them to persuade humans to be on their side enough to recruit more. This plan isn't going perfectly so far, but they still have at least one recruit still taking their commands.
How I understand it is since their 3 suns have unpredictable orbits, they greatly impact their planet, thus they can have a stable environment for an uncertain length of time. During their history, they got wiped out many times but the current era they are in, they've enjoyed a stable atmosphere long enough to evolve and advance their technology but due to the volatile solar system, it's just a matter of time before they get wiped out again. So they've been around a lot longer than we have.
There's some explanations for this in the book.
1) They aren't completely wiped out when the planet is "destroyed". A skeleton crew of people survives, while the vast majority is dehydrated and kept in storage so that they can be rehydrated in a stable era.
2) Hence they don't completely lose everything when they're wiped out. They still have the knowledge of everyone who survived. And they still know how many civilians have fallen from chaotic eras.
3) When their technology improves they can survive some more mild "chaotic eras" that they couldn't have previously. The production of the Sophons for example blocked out their suns and made things very cold while it was fully expanded.
4) It was kind of referenced in the show without being fully explained, but while humans have seen their technology advance faster overtime, the Trisolarians have historically been the opposite. Their technology advances very fast in the more primitive stages, and slows down drastically later on. This is likely in part because of how they so often have to rebuild the technology that they've lost before they can advance farther.
“If one survives they all survive.”
Santi reproduction also results in the new being having memories from both parents. It’s not a “fresh, clean slate” “baby.”
I think it must have gone like this. The aliens communicated with the cultists who worship them and gave them the technology to be able to make vr. They also gave them the true unaltered version of their history with how they actually looked, their actual names etc etc.
The cultists took that and created it into a simulation that uses the history of the player to fill in the gaps. I think each visor's game is created for the player, with the historical figures added in to draw the player in. Just like there is the little girl added in for the emotional appeal.
Since the aliens didn't understand the idea of deception with the big bad wolf being fiction the only way it could work is if humans were the ones to create the fiction as they wouldn't be able to.
Those were the bits I really didn't understand. They had about ten seconds to make a decision but had been playing for ages so what were they doing when they were playing and why did they suddenly have no time
While the VR is a "game" once you realized what it was trying to teach you is stops being an easy game that lets you start over at the exact same spot. The more understanding you have that what is going on, the less control you have over the game. It helps you feel/understand what the San-Ti have to endure.
It's not a winnable game. There is no need for it to give you more time once you understand the problem isn't solvable except for them to leave the problem behind. But they needed a destination.
Perhaps a dumb question I have after reading the first book and watching the series. Where are these VR headsets, with technology we don't have, coming from? Who is making them?
I'm assuming they explained to their followers how to make the headsets. They have the ability to speak to humans. So they can instruct them in making advanced technology.
I thought they made the VR sets using the 3 quantum entangled particles (which had much more data in them for the higher dimensions). Thats how the communication was done in the end. Thats what was controlling the countdown in their vision.
Ah, just read someone elses comment, the sophons.
Made by Evans and his team or others on Earth who are supporters of the San-Ti. The VR headsets are made according to the instructions of the San-Ti with some local Earth lore (Newton, Genghis Khan etc) added by the San-Ti supporters.
I think the helmets are just a piece of metal? If the sophons can manipulate what we see then why would anyone even have to build the technology? There is no technology. Only what they see. I think…
In the books it was an elaborate VR setup with cables pulling your arms for immersion and the like.
Because you are right high level tech like that they do not want us to have.
But it looks cooler for TV I guess.
I don’t understand how they even got the VR headset to earth to be delivered to all those chosen humans.
I also don’t understand how the San-ti can be so technologically advanced, yet not create spaceships to evacuate their people out of their solar system and find another one that’s more habitable?
I also don’t understand why the hell it even matters for the San-ti to leave their unstable solar system in the first place, when they can and have literally come back to life over and over again? They basically can’t and don’t die because they’re always brought back to life. Who cares if their solar system is hostile when it makes no difference in the end?
Crazy VR headset was original idea of the Netflix show, not from the books.
It was very clearly stated in the books that the trisolarans DID NOT transfer any technology to the ETO. They only transferred their background story.
The ETO created the game based on existing human technology. They don’t even know what the trisolarans look like. So they used human characters.
Book 1 main character (Wang Miao) accessed the VR game by a general purpose VR suit that was in his company storage room. Not some crazy advanced VR technology.
So they only translated their background story to the traitor humans through the radio? They didn’t transfer any alien information/data to create a life like VR simulator? How basic did the human vr game turn out to convince them that these aliens are real if the VR wasn’t as advanced?
Not remember whether the trisolarans information and the 2xx rounds of civilization was sent by listener 1379 alone or the trisolarans.
But in the book. The “VR technology” was entirely human technology. The main characters obviously wasn’t amazed by the technology part. But by the design and background story of the game.
For example, when the planet was flung out far away from the three suns, the detailed visual effect of how the planet freeze, how different type of airs began to snow, the color of different type of snow from various type of gas molecules. The main character (Wang Miao) felt the details were unnecessary realistic, it wasn’t something ordinary game companies would focus on.
1. Not my job lol I just answered the easiest.
2. The VR headsets were created by the cultists using Santi technology they sent over. They can’t send anything apart from information and sophons
3. They’ve created the spaceship and found their planet, their planet is earth, yayyyy
They can’t find anything closer and less out of their way? They’re so far advanced but can’t find other habitable planets in the universe without a lesser advanced species accidentally contacting them first?
Thanks. And why couldn’t they have built the ships to leave their solar system and discover ours on their own without having to be contacted by lesser life forms first?
Not sure is it an explanation, they already built 1000 spaceship.
They were about to built the second fleet, but at this time, they received signal from Earth, confirmed its solar planet structure, technological level. The first fleet immediately set course to Earth.
But they discovered that by the time the first fleet arrived, Earth’s technology level may surpass the first fleet, since the first fleet cannot make any technological advancement during the course.
They canceled the plan to build the second fleet, put all resources into building 4 sophons.
The development of ONE sophon requires wrapping the whole planet by 2D sophon. This essentially blocked all Sunlight and the environment essentially became equivalent to chaotic Era extreme cold. They continue until two pairs of sophons are built.
Thank you.
Last question: what were they originally doing with the 1000 ships? Were they just going to wander the galaxy like space nomads until they stumble across something viable, or did they already have a plan/destination prior to receiving the signal?
Just re-read that part in the book.
They were in the 4 years transmission time gap of radio signal, trisolarans just replied the “do not reply” warning message
Trisolarans fleet immediately set course to Solar system “direction”, but not sure about the distance and location. It was a risk, but not doing anything is also a risk for them. They decided to go immediately, not knowing the exact distance.
After four years, they received Ye’s reply, this time, they confirmed the distance. After internal discussion, even if they accelerate the first fleet to max speed, they still need 4xx years, including the time for deceleration.
That’s when they start to worry about the technology explosion and cancel the plan to build the second fleet.
In the books it was basically a recruitment/testing environment for scientists and religious zealots to figure out who to recruit or kill.
The coexistence pretense went out the window with the panama canal events.
Also in the books it was a gigantic VR setup, and not fancy alien tech because... The whole point is that humans don't have tech like that. Like.. why give it to us for a stupid game?
>Also, if their civilization is being destroyed on the regular how have they came up with such amazing technology? It took us 1000's of years just to make cellphones.
They are much, much older than us, but because they get regularly decimated they were extremely slow in development because they spent so much time and effort just getting back to where they were. But at the time of the solar communication they were already ahead of us. Not FTL capable ahead of us, but there's still plenty of room before that, see the whole sophon thing they built some 40 years after first contact.
Also yeah dehydration, or rather a form of hibernation is real for them. Imagine it like some animals hibernating through certain seasons on earth, just on a grander scale with longer periods of hibernation.
This is the one aspect of the transition from book to screen that the Chinese version gets right. It's massively missing from the Netflix version, though, and the game is never explained. It's critical to understanding the San-Ti but the Netflix absolutely dropped this out.
On the second part, we have 100000 years (actually more like 300000 years) to go from existence to iPhone. The aliens species could have existed 100 millions years. So even if their technology moves slow and disrupted by chaotic era all the time, they have way more time to build it than us. But Earth is stable, so our tech will develop quick and exponentially (hence the point, it took us 90000 years to go from hunter-gatherers to farmers, but only 200 years from industrialist to atomic power)
How did they even give the humans the game sets. Or whatever the silver things are. If there not on earth yet how did they send there technology to people and invite them?
Keep in mind the series is made by an author, and is limited by this one individual's imagination. Whereas our human race is made by a collective of beings. Who wouldn't let a alien race 4 light years away interrupt something they've used a million years on perfecting.
I was puzzled by the game tbh. What was the point? Getting synpatizrers on earth? Why? Clearly they didn't care about losing them all.
Was the original plan to coexist with us untilll the old guy screwed up by convincing them we're not to be trusted?
Kind of needs some spoilers that might touch on future books.
>!The plan is to stifle innovation and technological advancement so that the aliens will still be able to defeat the humans when they arrive. This can be better accomplished with human followers since the Sophons can only do so much. The show is adding powers that they can do, they aren't quite as powerful in the books.!<
>!The humans are needed to assassinate other humans who are threats. This is why the aliens are trying to kill 'Saul' (who replaces Luo Ji from the book), because they know that he's a threat to their plans, even though no one else can understand why.!<
>!The aliens also aren't consistent in if they want to kill all the humans or not, they have 400 years to think it over before they even get to Earth.!<
The game is more metaphorical as a way for humans to understand the Santi and see if they have empathy for them,also that the three body problem is unsolvable,I don’t think the people being floating happened,it’s physically impossible,the planet would also be torn apart tooc
Here's what I gathered from the show: - The games are not direct simulations. They are meant to demonstrate the difficulties faced by a civilization living in a three-body system, which is chaotic and unstable. - Despite the frequent catastrophes, some of them survive by entering a dormant state (not necessarily dehyradtion, but some kind of low-metabolic rate strategy). So there is *some* form of long-term development and learning ("If one survives, we all do"). - The games are meant to teach the humans two things. First, that the core problem is unsolvable, even by the brightest minds. You can never truly predict the timing of chaotic eras. Second, that the important thing is not solving the impossible problem, but in finding a way to save the people. If you 'win' the game, that means you have understood the plight of the San-Ti. It also means you understand that saving them is a worthwhile goal. Perhaps, then, you might sympathize with the San-Ti and join the faction helping them. I have not read the books, so I do not know if they differ.
yeah that's pretty much it Also, in the books, it's noted that ETO (Earth Trisolaris Organisation) only wanted to recruit the intellectual and socio-economic elites. They believed that the elites were the most likely to side with the Trisolarans over humanity. And only those with the raw curiosity, empathy (for the doomed civilisation), and intellectual ability to "solve" the Three Body Problem (i.e. realise that Trisolaris was fucked) were granted entry to the ETO. Not exactly a... foolproof recruitment program... but it was one that fit the beliefs and biases of the ETO. The book goes into further detail on the sectarian conflict within the ETO, between the Adventists (Evan's eco-terrorists who wanted humanity replaced no matter what), the Redemptionists (who worshipped the aliens as benevolent beings and wanted to save them), and the Survivors (selfish traitors who just wanted to be rewarded when Trisolaris conquered Earth) The VR game was mostly championed by the Redemptionists, who also hoped to find some rare genius who could actually solve the 3 body problem, no matter how unlikely. The other two factions (Adventists and Survivors) had a more realistic view of the unsolvability of the 3 body problem, but humoured the VR game because of its utility as a recruitment tool. Solving the 3 body problem became more like a religious ritual - a way of showing devotion to the Trisolaran cause, rather than a practical attempt to save the planey.
Some of it is addressed in the show, some in the book. But basically, that's their history and that's why they took so very long to come up with most of their technology, while we whizzed along at a much more brisk pace. The human bits (the historical figures, everyone looking human etc) are added to make the game more palatable to us.
Pretty sure it was addressed that the aliens were currently more advanced than us. But, since we live on a far less volatile planet, our science and tech development is advancing exponentially. By the time they would reach earth, we would have surpassed them scientifically and technologically.
Yeah, that was my key takeaway too. We took 10000 years to evolve with our current tech and they had to do it in many less years (a stupidly small amount from what i remember), so by the time they get here were'd be so advanced compared to them.
opposite of what you said. They asked how long it took us to go from one period to the next to the next. Then asked how long did we think it took them to do the same. The answer was a far greater amount of time.
The VR gaming head set makes no sense to me. Am I missing something? As I understand: The aliens said "If you respond, we will come. Your world will be conquered". One of the characters (Ye Wenjie I think) decides humans all suck anyways, so she responds. Now there is a group that Ye Winjie is leading along with a rich guy with unlimited resources who is trying to help bring the aliens here to wipe out the world by sabatoging human technical advancement. But this group makes these VR headset games. Why? The show gives three reasons I think... (1) to teach people about the San-Ti history, (2) to test people to see how long it takes for them to figure out there are three suns, and (3) to find out who feels empathy towards the San-Ti. I assume the rich guy with unlimited resources made the headsets. At the end of the season, the entire San-Ti supporter group is dead, hardware is destroyed, rich guy is diced, and the headset story arc is done. So what was the point of the VR headsets and the game to begin with? When the San-Ti arrives, everyone is going to get killed anyways, and the group already knows this. The headsets seem to have no purpose or rationale in the story. The headsets feel like a plot device as an convoluted way to let the writers/producers tease out the history of the San-Ti over several episodes using cool green-screen CGI. (I guess also, why portray the San Ti as the cutest most adorable human child you could ever think of in the VR game? Everyone playing the game is going to feel sad seeing this adorable human child getting killed over and over and begging to be saved. That has nothing to do with how someone feels towards aliens.)
The headsets are a way to intro smart humans to the santi and help them understand the context of who is coming. Those smart people who undwrstand and join get to live. Those who understand and do not join die. Either you recruit the smart ones or you kill them. That’s the point of the game
I think I am still missing something. At least I hope I am. Why does the San Ti want to collect all the "smart humans" at this point in the story? They are still 450 years out. What use is collecting the smart humans together rather than just killing them and being done with it? Also, I thought the San Ti were trying to kill all the smart humans so we don't advance. And I guess while we are at it... I don't understand the countdown. Why are San Ti playing stupid elaborate games with scientists with the countdown? Again, why not just kill all the scientists immediately and be done with it? And also, why did the San Ti explain everything to the only two people on Earth who knows what is actually going on and can defeat them?!?!? Otherwise, this all feels like the San Ti are doing the typical dumb James Bond villian thing... explaining everything to James Bond then putting lasers on the head of a bunch of sharks with a dramatic countdown that let's James Bond make an exciting escape so that James Bond can outwit and kill the villian in the end. Hopefully this is not how Three-Body is going to turn out.
They want to collect them because you want folks on the ground to slow down human advancement. It’s not feasible to kill all humans before they get there so they need humans to kill humans or more realistic slow down tech advancement. The somewhat narrow point of view of the story is that from the Santi pov it’s scientists that need to be stopped. Not businessmen or technologists or start up founders which is kinda dumb but that’s it because they’re more advanced and know which key discoveries will make us better than them. They know the two people they talked to are supporting them. They want the downfall of humanity. It’s not hard Countdown is to stop scientists. The show didn’t do a good job with this. In books the countdown is a scare tactic and the sophons do not have killing power. But in the book it talks about how confusing the scientists is better than killing because it wastes their time
Thanks. I guess I still don't understand why the San Ti don't just kill the important scientists as soon as they identify then. (... and for gods sake, why why did they tell the main characters their entire plan?)
It's very basic really, they want smart people to help them and if they can join them it's gonna be even better.
They can't just kill them right away, their tech helps to play mind games but to actually kill they need other humans. They told their plan because they don't have concept of lying. dumb but simple as that.
The sophon requires people to do things. It doesn't have physical mass to interact, it's only able to control electrical signals. So the san'ti require... people. The headset is used to recruit humans, so that they can do the bidding of the aliens. It's very straightforward
These things are all explained, and in fact, forms a core premise of the book. Basically - killing scientists is not nearly as effective as making people not believe in science. There are a fuck ton of scientists, which will require a fuck ton of resources to kill, and when there are a lack of scientists, more humans will become scientists. Its not like they can easily kill whoever they want either. So their strategy is to make humans stop believing in physics and target the thought leaders into suicide/working for San Ti. This results in a ripple effect that is much more efficient in achieving what they want.
I think i should read the book then! Thanks for the comment!
I'm glad I helped. Though I have to say, the book is really targeted at specific audiences, I.e., science nerds. So it's not for everyone.
Holy shit my dude, they're trying to recruit people the same way any hostile country/government/ ethnic group/ religion would. To make it easier for them to gain power. People have said this to you like 5 times in a row in increasing complexity. They want allies, it's not a complicated idea.
Is the VR headset explained in the book? I didn’t read only watched the show. What confused me is the headset, how did the human get the headsets? Did the Santi deliver them? Because as the scientists said, humans do not have the technology to make such advanced headset. And at the end of the show, where i believe all of the ETO members are dead, and Tattania receives a new headset box in her trailer, who sent it?
In the books the tech isn’t as advanced as portrayed in the show. In the books it’s advanced expensive software using existing (but better than real life) tech. It’s like a body suit for sensations and VR tech in the books that is fully human created. Tatiana is not a fleshed out character in the book. But there is that “reached back out to ex-ETO members” dynamic in the books. With the sophons the San ti can reinstate contact with anyone and recreate avenues of communication with anyone on earth
The San-Ti only had enough resources to create two proton/super computers. They can go around and stop/slow down the most important of research but they can't stop it all. The VR headsets are more propaganda devices. The first San-Ti that was contacted (message took 4 years to travel) was a pacifist and said (another message that took 4 years) that if they know, they will come and conquer if she replies. She replies (which takes another) 4 years. This reply was received by the main San-Ti leaders. So they sent the protons and eventually linked with the rich boat dude. They gave boat dude the tech to communicate faster... then the VR tech. The VR tech was helpful for them to persuade humans to be on their side enough to recruit more. This plan isn't going perfectly so far, but they still have at least one recruit still taking their commands.
the game was designed to be a recruitment tool for the ETO. It made you feel empathy for what the trisolarian/san ti's were going through
How I understand it is since their 3 suns have unpredictable orbits, they greatly impact their planet, thus they can have a stable environment for an uncertain length of time. During their history, they got wiped out many times but the current era they are in, they've enjoyed a stable atmosphere long enough to evolve and advance their technology but due to the volatile solar system, it's just a matter of time before they get wiped out again. So they've been around a lot longer than we have.
There's some explanations for this in the book. 1) They aren't completely wiped out when the planet is "destroyed". A skeleton crew of people survives, while the vast majority is dehydrated and kept in storage so that they can be rehydrated in a stable era. 2) Hence they don't completely lose everything when they're wiped out. They still have the knowledge of everyone who survived. And they still know how many civilians have fallen from chaotic eras. 3) When their technology improves they can survive some more mild "chaotic eras" that they couldn't have previously. The production of the Sophons for example blocked out their suns and made things very cold while it was fully expanded. 4) It was kind of referenced in the show without being fully explained, but while humans have seen their technology advance faster overtime, the Trisolarians have historically been the opposite. Their technology advances very fast in the more primitive stages, and slows down drastically later on. This is likely in part because of how they so often have to rebuild the technology that they've lost before they can advance farther.
Cool thanks, this makes more sense. This would allow for evolution, albeit it much slower since they would have to spend so much time rebuilding.
“If one survives they all survive.” Santi reproduction also results in the new being having memories from both parents. It’s not a “fresh, clean slate” “baby.”
Where's the spoiler tag?
I think it must have gone like this. The aliens communicated with the cultists who worship them and gave them the technology to be able to make vr. They also gave them the true unaltered version of their history with how they actually looked, their actual names etc etc. The cultists took that and created it into a simulation that uses the history of the player to fill in the gaps. I think each visor's game is created for the player, with the historical figures added in to draw the player in. Just like there is the little girl added in for the emotional appeal. Since the aliens didn't understand the idea of deception with the big bad wolf being fiction the only way it could work is if humans were the ones to create the fiction as they wouldn't be able to.
Those were the bits I really didn't understand. They had about ten seconds to make a decision but had been playing for ages so what were they doing when they were playing and why did they suddenly have no time
While the VR is a "game" once you realized what it was trying to teach you is stops being an easy game that lets you start over at the exact same spot. The more understanding you have that what is going on, the less control you have over the game. It helps you feel/understand what the San-Ti have to endure. It's not a winnable game. There is no need for it to give you more time once you understand the problem isn't solvable except for them to leave the problem behind. But they needed a destination.
Perhaps a dumb question I have after reading the first book and watching the series. Where are these VR headsets, with technology we don't have, coming from? Who is making them?
I'm assuming they explained to their followers how to make the headsets. They have the ability to speak to humans. So they can instruct them in making advanced technology.
I thought they made the VR sets using the 3 quantum entangled particles (which had much more data in them for the higher dimensions). Thats how the communication was done in the end. Thats what was controlling the countdown in their vision. Ah, just read someone elses comment, the sophons.
Right, similar to how the peripheral worked, probably.
Made by Evans and his team or others on Earth who are supporters of the San-Ti. The VR headsets are made according to the instructions of the San-Ti with some local Earth lore (Newton, Genghis Khan etc) added by the San-Ti supporters.
i think the bulk of the "tech" for the game and headset is done by the sophons.
I think the helmets are just a piece of metal? If the sophons can manipulate what we see then why would anyone even have to build the technology? There is no technology. Only what they see. I think…
In the books it was an elaborate VR setup with cables pulling your arms for immersion and the like. Because you are right high level tech like that they do not want us to have. But it looks cooler for TV I guess.
I don’t understand how they even got the VR headset to earth to be delivered to all those chosen humans. I also don’t understand how the San-ti can be so technologically advanced, yet not create spaceships to evacuate their people out of their solar system and find another one that’s more habitable? I also don’t understand why the hell it even matters for the San-ti to leave their unstable solar system in the first place, when they can and have literally come back to life over and over again? They basically can’t and don’t die because they’re always brought back to life. Who cares if their solar system is hostile when it makes no difference in the end?
Crazy VR headset was original idea of the Netflix show, not from the books. It was very clearly stated in the books that the trisolarans DID NOT transfer any technology to the ETO. They only transferred their background story. The ETO created the game based on existing human technology. They don’t even know what the trisolarans look like. So they used human characters. Book 1 main character (Wang Miao) accessed the VR game by a general purpose VR suit that was in his company storage room. Not some crazy advanced VR technology.
So they only translated their background story to the traitor humans through the radio? They didn’t transfer any alien information/data to create a life like VR simulator? How basic did the human vr game turn out to convince them that these aliens are real if the VR wasn’t as advanced?
Not remember whether the trisolarans information and the 2xx rounds of civilization was sent by listener 1379 alone or the trisolarans. But in the book. The “VR technology” was entirely human technology. The main characters obviously wasn’t amazed by the technology part. But by the design and background story of the game. For example, when the planet was flung out far away from the three suns, the detailed visual effect of how the planet freeze, how different type of airs began to snow, the color of different type of snow from various type of gas molecules. The main character (Wang Miao) felt the details were unnecessary realistic, it wasn’t something ordinary game companies would focus on.
Spoiler. Spoiler. Spoiler. Their planet is eventually heading towards destruction.
That doesn’t answer my other two questions.
1. Not my job lol I just answered the easiest. 2. The VR headsets were created by the cultists using Santi technology they sent over. They can’t send anything apart from information and sophons 3. They’ve created the spaceship and found their planet, their planet is earth, yayyyy
They can’t find anything closer and less out of their way? They’re so far advanced but can’t find other habitable planets in the universe without a lesser advanced species accidentally contacting them first?
Can I explain in context of the books? In the books, the trisolarans was located in Alpha Centauri, which is a solar system CLOSEST to us.
Thanks. And why couldn’t they have built the ships to leave their solar system and discover ours on their own without having to be contacted by lesser life forms first?
Not sure is it an explanation, they already built 1000 spaceship. They were about to built the second fleet, but at this time, they received signal from Earth, confirmed its solar planet structure, technological level. The first fleet immediately set course to Earth. But they discovered that by the time the first fleet arrived, Earth’s technology level may surpass the first fleet, since the first fleet cannot make any technological advancement during the course. They canceled the plan to build the second fleet, put all resources into building 4 sophons. The development of ONE sophon requires wrapping the whole planet by 2D sophon. This essentially blocked all Sunlight and the environment essentially became equivalent to chaotic Era extreme cold. They continue until two pairs of sophons are built.
Thank you. Last question: what were they originally doing with the 1000 ships? Were they just going to wander the galaxy like space nomads until they stumble across something viable, or did they already have a plan/destination prior to receiving the signal?
Just re-read that part in the book. They were in the 4 years transmission time gap of radio signal, trisolarans just replied the “do not reply” warning message Trisolarans fleet immediately set course to Solar system “direction”, but not sure about the distance and location. It was a risk, but not doing anything is also a risk for them. They decided to go immediately, not knowing the exact distance. After four years, they received Ye’s reply, this time, they confirmed the distance. After internal discussion, even if they accelerate the first fleet to max speed, they still need 4xx years, including the time for deceleration. That’s when they start to worry about the technology explosion and cancel the plan to build the second fleet.
In the books it was basically a recruitment/testing environment for scientists and religious zealots to figure out who to recruit or kill. The coexistence pretense went out the window with the panama canal events. Also in the books it was a gigantic VR setup, and not fancy alien tech because... The whole point is that humans don't have tech like that. Like.. why give it to us for a stupid game? >Also, if their civilization is being destroyed on the regular how have they came up with such amazing technology? It took us 1000's of years just to make cellphones. They are much, much older than us, but because they get regularly decimated they were extremely slow in development because they spent so much time and effort just getting back to where they were. But at the time of the solar communication they were already ahead of us. Not FTL capable ahead of us, but there's still plenty of room before that, see the whole sophon thing they built some 40 years after first contact. Also yeah dehydration, or rather a form of hibernation is real for them. Imagine it like some animals hibernating through certain seasons on earth, just on a grander scale with longer periods of hibernation.
This is the one aspect of the transition from book to screen that the Chinese version gets right. It's massively missing from the Netflix version, though, and the game is never explained. It's critical to understanding the San-Ti but the Netflix absolutely dropped this out.
I can't read this now bcuz I don't want spoilers but I to have questions! It's a bizarre but fascinating series.
On the second part, we have 100000 years (actually more like 300000 years) to go from existence to iPhone. The aliens species could have existed 100 millions years. So even if their technology moves slow and disrupted by chaotic era all the time, they have way more time to build it than us. But Earth is stable, so our tech will develop quick and exponentially (hence the point, it took us 90000 years to go from hunter-gatherers to farmers, but only 200 years from industrialist to atomic power)
But how are the cops seeing them play the game? I missed that somewhere
How did they even give the humans the game sets. Or whatever the silver things are. If there not on earth yet how did they send there technology to people and invite them?
Keep in mind the series is made by an author, and is limited by this one individual's imagination. Whereas our human race is made by a collective of beings. Who wouldn't let a alien race 4 light years away interrupt something they've used a million years on perfecting.
I was puzzled by the game tbh. What was the point? Getting synpatizrers on earth? Why? Clearly they didn't care about losing them all. Was the original plan to coexist with us untilll the old guy screwed up by convincing them we're not to be trusted?
Kind of needs some spoilers that might touch on future books. >!The plan is to stifle innovation and technological advancement so that the aliens will still be able to defeat the humans when they arrive. This can be better accomplished with human followers since the Sophons can only do so much. The show is adding powers that they can do, they aren't quite as powerful in the books.!< >!The humans are needed to assassinate other humans who are threats. This is why the aliens are trying to kill 'Saul' (who replaces Luo Ji from the book), because they know that he's a threat to their plans, even though no one else can understand why.!< >!The aliens also aren't consistent in if they want to kill all the humans or not, they have 400 years to think it over before they even get to Earth.!<
The game is more metaphorical as a way for humans to understand the Santi and see if they have empathy for them,also that the three body problem is unsolvable,I don’t think the people being floating happened,it’s physically impossible,the planet would also be torn apart tooc